Duke’s Cameron Boozer Held Off Kansas For A Champion's Classic Victory.

Since Kanas was without the services of its injured freshman phenom, it was only fitting that Duke's star rookie was the difference in Tuesday night's blue-blooded clash inside Madison Square Garden.

Cameron Boozer filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Blue Devils to a 78-66 win over the Jayhawks, who missed Darryn Peterson for the third consecutive game due to a hamstring strain.

The manner in which Boozer affected the game, though, was a tale of two halves. 

Facing several double teams early on, Boozer played the role of a facilitator. He totaled four assists — to just seven points on two made field goals — to help Duke turn a six-point, first-half deficit into an eight-point, halftime lead. 

But when crunch time arrived in the later stages Tuesday, Boozer became more assertive in calling his own number and attacking the rim. With Duke's lead trimmed to five inside 10 minutes remaining, Boozer netted four of the team's final six field goals to put the game away.

The Blue Devils are now 5-0 for the first time under Jon Scheyer, who also earned his first win against Kansas after dropping two prior head-to-head matchups. Tuesday marks Duke's ninth straight victory held inside the World's Most Famous Arena, where it will make a return visit before Christmas against Texas Tech.

Wearing sweats on the Kansas bench, Peterson watched his fellow freshman standout turn in a stellar effort. Kansas announced earlier on Tuesday that Peterson's hamstring would be reevaluated at the end of the week.

Other than Boozer, Duke was highlighted by the efforts of its bench, which outscored Kansas' non-starters 18-5. Additionally, sharpshooter Isaiah Evans scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half, including a triple in the waning seconds before halftime.

Duke will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium for two home games in three days this weekend. The Blue Devils will host Niagara on Friday night and then will face Howard for a Sunday matinee.