Arkansas Rallies but Cannot Close Out Duke in a Thanksgiving Day Drama

Arkansas fought hard against fourth-ranked Duke for much of Thursday night, but the Razorbacks were unable to close out a winnable game in Chicago. Now 5-2, Arkansas fell 80-71, managing only two points in the final three minutes and failing to make a single field goal.

Freshman Cameron Boozer’s exceptional performance carried Duke through the closing stretch, propelling the Blue Devils to their eighth consecutive victory. With Arkansas clinging to a 70-69 lead and less than three minutes remaining, Duke mounted a decisive 10-2 run that effectively sealed the game. Despite the Razorbacks’ resilience, the late collapse underscored the work that still lies ahead for head coach John Calipari.

A High-Energy Start in Chicago

The atmosphere at the United Center reflected the stakes. Energy surged through the arena as the Razorbacks and Blue Devils faced off in a marquee matchup. From the opening tip, the game carried a physical edge. Duke won the jump, but Boozer’s first pass was intercepted by DJ Wagner. Arkansas struggled to capitalize, as Rob Dillingham Knox drove along the baseline and lost the ball after stepping on the end line.

Duke struck first when Khaman Maluach Ngongba drained a straightaway three, only for Trevon Brazile to respond immediately from the corner, tying the game. On the next possession, Brazile stole the ball from Sarr and was fouled on the other end, converting one of two free throws. After several empty possessions from both teams, Wagner completed an and-1 layup, giving Arkansas a 7-3 lead heading into the first media timeout.

Shooting was sloppy early on. Duke connected on just one of seven field goal attempts, including one of four from beyond the arc, while Arkansas was two of seven overall, making only one of five three-point attempts. The Razorbacks did hold a 3-1 advantage in turnovers, though they converted just a single point off those opportunities.

Arkansas Builds Momentum

Out of the timeout, Khamenia knocked down two free throws, but Arkansas quickly responded. Darius Acuff sank a second-chance three to put the Razorbacks ahead 10-5. Moments later, Richmond stole the ball from Cayden Boozer and finished with a breakaway dunk, extending the lead to 12-5.

Duke answered back as Ngongba was fouled and made both free throws. Khamenia later converted a layup following a missed travel call, snapping a five-minute scoring drought for the Blue Devils. A three from Evans gave Duke some momentum, but Richmond countered with a left-wing three that pushed Arkansas ahead 15-12 at the under-8 media timeout.

After a pair of turnovers from both teams, Richmond drove the baseline and found a cutting Malique Ewin for an easy slam, giving the Razorbacks a 17-12 advantage. 

Duke quickly countered with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 17. Evans then drilled another three following two offensive rebounds, completing an 8-0 spurt for the Blue Devils.

Brazile answered with his second three of the night to tie it at 20. Duke briefly regained the lead after Sarr’s layup, but Brazile responded out of the timeout with an emphatic second-chance tip dunk. From that point, Duke and Cameron Boozer seized control, going on a 10-0 run with Boozer scoring eight of the points.

First-Half Resilience

Calipari called a 30-second timeout to halt Duke’s momentum. Acuff responded with a tough layup, and Brown converted a second-chance basket following a pass from Boozer. Acuff then hit a three-pointer to bring the Razorbacks within seven, but Boozer answered immediately with a layup and-1, extending Duke’s lead to ten.

Richmond was called for a carry, resulting in an easy slam for Boozer. Acuff split a pair of free throws to briefly stem the tide. Foster’s tip-in later gave Duke a 13-point cushion before Acuff sank another three less than 20 seconds later.

Acuff’s shot sparked a 7-0 run to close the half. Richmond converted two free throws after being fouled, then pushed the ball to Thomas for a transition layup, cutting the deficit to 41-35. Ngongba missed a layup on the final possession, and Brazile secured the rebound as the half expired.

At halftime, Cameron Boozer led all scorers with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Acuff contributed 12 points and 3 assists for Arkansas. After a slow start, Duke recovered from 1 of 9 shooting to make 14 of its next 24 attempts, finishing the half 15 of 33 (48%), including 6 of 16 from three-point range (38%). Arkansas shot 12 of 33 from the floor (36%), also making 6 of 16 from beyond the arc. Offensive rebounds were even at 7 apiece, but Duke outscored Arkansas 16-6 in second-chance points.

Second-Half Exchange

Knox opened the second half with a free-throw jumper, immediately answered by a tough paint shot from Boozer. Knox missed a three-pointer but grabbed the offensive rebound, while Wagner’s long attempt bounced off a Duke defender. Acuff then sank a difficult jumper from deep. Ngongba added a hook shot before Pringle was fouled on a layup and completed the and-1, sparking an 8-0 run that gave Arkansas a 50-47 lead. The Razorbacks were in the midst of a 22-6 surge after trailing 41-28 late in the first half.

Out of the timeout, Boozer scored on a second-chance jumper after what appeared to be a travel. Ewin responded with an and-1 layup, and Acuff added a jumper off a tipped follow from Ngongba. Ewin then slammed home a dunk to extend the lead to 57-52 at the under-12 timeout.

Boozer split a pair at the free-throw line, but Thomas responded with a massive three-pointer to push Arkansas ahead 60-53 with 10:09 remaining.

Duke had gone nearly five minutes without a field goal until Foster’s corner three made it 60-56 with nine minutes remaining. When Ewin missed a layup, Boozer converted an easy transition basket, forcing Calipari to call a timeout.

Final Stretch Drama

Coming out of the timeout, Thomas delivered a precise feed to Richmond cutting to the basket, but Duke’s Foster answered with a smooth slam to tie the game at 62-62 at the under-8 timeout. Boozer split a pair of free throws before Richmond’s layup nudged Arkansas ahead 64-61. The freshman quickly responded with a second-chance layup and-1, leveling the score once again at 64.

Ngongba’s tip-in put Duke up 66-64, prompting another Calipari timeout. Following a turnover by Richmond, Foster scored through traffic, and after several steals, Acuff finished with a layup to bring the Razorbacks within 68-66 at the final media timeout.

Boozer was fouled by Brazile and converted a jumper for an and-1 opportunity, though he missed the free throw. Thomas responded with a straightaway three to cut the deficit to 70-69, the closest Arkansas would get in the closing minutes. 

Foster then sank a three-pointer to push Duke’s lead back to 73-69. After a missed three by Acuff, Boozer scored in the paint, extending the margin to 75-69. Arkansas managed only two points in the final 2:58, both from Brazile at the line, as Duke held on to secure an 80-71 victory in Chicago.

Boozer Shines as Duke Pulls Away

Duke freshman Cameron Boozer delivered a stellar performance, finishing with a game-high 35 points on 13 of 18 shooting (72.2%), along with nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Boozer dominated the closing minutes, carrying the Blue Devils through a hard-fought 80-71 victory.

John Calipari praised Boozer’s impact, calling him a force who created problems for Arkansas all night. Junior guard Caleb Foster added 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting (50%) for Duke, providing crucial support down the stretch.

For the Razorbacks, freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. led the way with 21 points on 8 of 17 shooting (47.1%) and 4 of 8 from three-point range (50%). Freshman guard Meleek Thomas contributed 13 points on 5 of 15 shooting (33.3%). Arkansas shot 26 of 64 from the field (40.6%) and 10 of 30 from beyond the arc (33.3%), while Duke converted 29 of 59 attempts (49.2%) and 8 of 23 from long distance (34.8%).

The Blue Devils also held the edge on the boards, out-rebounding Arkansas 37-29, scoring 42 points in the paint to the Razorbacks’ 28, and tallying 25 second-chance points compared with Arkansas’ 10.

What’s Next for the Razorbacks

Arkansas will return home to Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville to take on Louisville, an undefeated team at 7-0. The matchup is set for Wednesday, December 3, at 6 p.m.

Coach John Calipari will aim to use the lessons from the close loss to Duke as the Razorbacks prepare to face another high-flying opponent. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.