Boozer's 15 points power Duke past Texas 75-60 in opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No. 6 Duke opened the 2025-26 season with a 75-60 win over Texas on Tuesday night in the Dick Vitale Invitational at the Spectrum Center, relying on a stifling defense to overcome an uneven offensive start. The victory, in Jon Scheyer's fourth season as head coach, featured a second-half surge led by freshman forward Cameron Boozer and a sustained defensive effort that limited the Longhorns to 32 percent shooting and 16 turnovers.

Duke trailed 33-32 at halftime after a first half in which its offense sputtered and Texas grabbed numerous offensive rebounds to extend possessions. The Blue Devils tightened on the ball in the second half, cutting off dribble penetration, improving post defense and converting defensive stops into scoring runs, Scheyer said. "Defense starts with a mindset and these guys have it," he said. "Regardless of what's happening on the offensive end, our defense can keep us in games."

Boozer, a 6-foot-9 freshman and highly touted recruit, was scoreless in the first half, missing all seven of his field-goal attempts. He responded by finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds, most of them after intermission. He went to the free-throw line...