Duke Basketball Defeats Army 84-50 Despite Long-Range Shooting Struggles
The Blue Devils opened their season with a commanding victory, though perimeter shooting concerns surfaced after missing their first nine three-point attempts.
The No. 2 Duke Blue Devils secured an 84-50 victory over Army on Monday night to open the 2026-27 men's basketball season. While the final score reflected a dominant performance, the team's perimeter shooting woes immediately drew the attention of analysts and supporters alike.
During the matchup, Duke struggled significantly from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils finished just 4-of-22 from three-point range, translating to an 18.2% success rate. Compounding the early offensive friction, the squad missed all nine of its attempts from deep during the first half before finally converting after halftime.
Fans and observers pointed out that Army's zone defense caused noticeable hesitation among the Duke guards. One fan noted during the broadcast that the defense clearly slowed the team down while the players struggled to hit from deep. Another supporter remarked that the overall first half felt ugly outside of the opening minutes due to the perimeter drought.
Despite the perimeter struggles, Duke relied heavily on interior scoring and a stifling defense to secure the win. The Blue Devils generated 50 points inside the paint and capitalized at the free-throw line by converting 22 of 26 attempts.
Individual performances anchored the offensive production in the paint. Dame Sarr led the scoring effort with 16 points, while freshman Joaquim Boumtje contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in his collegiate debut. Additionally, Patrick Ngongba II added 10 points and seven rebounds to bolster the frontcourt.
On the defensive end, Duke's length completely stifled Army and neutralized any advantage the visitors might have gained from the hosts' cold shooting. The Blue Devils forced 24 turnovers and tallied 16 steals over the course of the game.
Although the lopsided victory provided a strong start to the campaign, analysts noted that improved three-point shooting will be necessary as the Blue Devils face tougher, ranked opponents later in the schedule. For now, the team's interior dominance and defensive pressure proved more than enough to handle Army.