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Durham, Durham County

Durham: Duke beats Tennessee 103-64 in exhibition at Cameron Indoor

Deron Rippey Jr. scored 21 points. Duke led 54-30 at half. The exhibition does not count in the standings.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

The downtown Durham skyline under an overcast sky

File photo: Discover Durham (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • Duke beat Tennessee 103-64 in a men's basketball exhibition on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham. Official records list both teams at 0-0. The result does not count in the standings.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap, box score and schedule
  • Duke led 54-30 at halftime. Tennessee scored 30 points in the first half and 34 in the second. Duke scored 54 and 49. The official box score lists no lead changes.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score; Tennessee Athletics recap
  • Duke shot 36 of 66 from the field (54.5 percent), 12 of 33 from three-point range and 19 of 21 from the free-throw line. Tennessee shot 20 of 59, 4 of 18 from three and 20 of 28 at the line.Confirmed by Duke Athletics box score and recap
  • Duke outrebounded Tennessee 44-29 and outscored the Volunteers 46-16 in the paint.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap and box score
  • Freshman guard Deron Rippey Jr. led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, with 3 assists and a game-high 3 steals.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap and box score; Tennessee Athletics recap
  • John Blackwell scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 4 of 6 from three, and had 5 rebounds. Dame Sarr scored 15. Patrick Ngongba II had 13 points and a team-high 7 rebounds. Sebastian Wilkins and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje scored 11 each. Cayden Boozer had 6 assists and 5 rebounds.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap and box score
  • Dai Dai Ames led Tennessee with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Troy Henderson and Juke Harris scored 10 each. Braedan Lue had a game-high 8 rebounds.Confirmed by Tennessee Athletics recap; Duke Athletics box score
  • Duke's recap listed the Blue Devils as second-ranked and Tennessee as No. 8. Tennessee's recap listed the Volunteers as No. 8/9.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap; Tennessee Athletics recap
  • Tennessee's recap said junior guard Terrence Hill Jr. left with a left ankle injury during the first-half surge and did not return. It said sophomore guard Troy Henderson did not play the last 17-plus minutes because of a right ankle injury. It also said sixth-year guard Tyler Lundblade did not play because of an offseason back injury.Confirmed by Tennessee Athletics recap
  • Duke next plays an exhibition at Kansas on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., on ESPN. Duke Athletics lists that game as the last preseason contest on the calendar.Confirmed by Duke Athletics recap and 2026-27 schedule

What happened

In Durham, Duke beat Tennessee 103-64 on Tuesday night in a men's basketball exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The game does not count in the regular-season standings. Duke's official recap, box score and schedule all list it as an exhibition. Both teams are 0-0.

Duke led 54-30 at the break. The box score lists no lead changes. The home recap said Duke went up 17-2 after holding Tennessee without a field goal for nearly six minutes, then stretched the gap to 29-6 on a Dame Sarr fast-break layup with 10:49 left in the first half.

Who scored

Deron Rippey Jr. led all scorers with 21 points. He made 9 of 12 shots, including 3 of 6 from three, and added 3 assists and 3 steals.

John Blackwell scored 18 on 6-of-8 shooting, with 4 threes and 5 rebounds. Dame Sarr had 15. Patrick Ngongba II finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Sebastian Wilkins and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje scored 11 apiece. Cayden Boozer handed out 6 assists and grabbed 5 boards.

Duke shot 36 of 66 from the field and 19 of 21 at the line, according to the official box score. It held a 44-29 rebound edge and scored 46 points in the paint to Tennessee's 16.

Dai Dai Ames led the Volunteers with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Troy Henderson and Juke Harris scored 10 each. Braedan Lue had 8 rebounds.

Tennessee's recap said Terrence Hill Jr. left with a left ankle injury in that first-half run and did not return. It said Henderson sat the last 17-plus minutes with a right ankle injury, and that Tyler Lundblade did not play because of an offseason back injury.

Duke's recap listed the hosts as second-ranked and Tennessee as No. 8. Tennessee's recap listed itself as No. 8/9.

What's next

Duke plays its last listed preseason game Sunday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m. at Kansas, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. The official schedule and recap both list that tip on ESPN.

Why it matters

Duke is the Triangle's ACC men's basketball program in Durham. Tuesday was its first public exhibition against another Power conference team. The result does not count in the standings.

Sources

  1. No. 2 Duke Cruises Past No. 8 Tennessee, 103-64, in Exhibition (game recap; 103-64; Rippey Jr. 21; Blackwell 18; Sarr 15; Ngongba II 13; Wilkins 11; Boumtje Boumtje 11; Boozer 6 assists; 36-of-66, 19-of-21; rebounds 44-29; paint 46-16; next at Kansas, Oct. 25, 1 p.m., ESPN)

    Official sourcePublished by Duke Athletics · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 10:15 AM

  2. Men's Basketball vs Tennessee on 10/20/26, box score (Duke 103-64; first half 54-30; Duke 36-66 FG, 12-33 3PT, 19-21 FT; Tennessee 20-59, 4-18, 20-28; rebounds 44-29; 0 lead changes; Rippey Jr. 21; Blackwell 18; Sarr 15; Ngongba II 13; Ames 19)

    Official sourcePublished by Duke Athletics · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 10:15 AM

  3. 2026-27 Men's Basketball Schedule (Tennessee exhibition W, 103-64, Oct. 20, 7 p.m., Cameron Indoor Stadium; at Kansas exhibition, Oct. 25, 1 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse, ESPN; both teams 0-0)

    Official sourcePublished by Duke Athletics · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 10:15 AM

  4. #8/9 Vols Drop Exhibition Outing at #2 Duke (game recap; 103-64; Ames 19; Henderson 10; Harris 10; Lue 8 rebounds; Hill Jr. left-ankle injury; Henderson right-ankle injury; Lundblade did not play; Duke 54.5 percent and 90.5 percent at the line)

    Official sourcePublished by Tennessee Athletics · Checked Oct 21, 2026, 10:15 AM

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