Duke vs Baylor March 23, 2025 – Blue Devils Dominate Bears 89-66 to Advance to Sweet 16 in March Madness!

The Lenovo Center in Raleigh was a cauldron of energy on March 23, 2025, as top-seeded Duke took on ninth-seeded Baylor in an NCAA Second Round matchup that showcased the Blue Devils’ firepower in a 89-66 rout that sent them marching into the Sweet 16. The game started as a back-and-forth battle, with Baylor’s Norchad Omier powering in for a layup to tie it at 4-4, but Duke’s Tyrese Proctor answered with a three-pointer, assisted by Cooper Flagg, to give the Blue Devils an early 7-4 lead. Baylor fought hard in the first half, with VJ Edgecombe’s dunk at 12:23 cutting Duke’s lead to 15-13, and Robert Wright III’s jumper tying it at 15-15, but Duke pulled away with a 15-0 run, fueled by Proctor’s back-to-back threes and Flagg’s dunk with 54 seconds left, taking a commanding 47-30 lead at halftime. The second half saw Baylor try to claw back, as Omier’s layup and Jeremy Roach’s jumper brought the Bears within 55-44, but Duke’s offense was unstoppable—Proctor drained another three at 5:42 to push the lead to 76-56, and Khaman Maluach’s thunderous dunk with 3:24 remaining made it 81-59, sending the Duke faithful into a frenzy. Baylor’s Langston Love hit a late three to make it 84-64, but it was too little, too late, as Duke closed out the game with Caleb Foster’s layup, sealing the 89-66 victory. The Blue Devils’ fans chanted ‘Let’s Go Duke!’ as the team celebrated on their home court, their Sweet 16 ticket punched in a game that highlighted their depth, shooting, and relentless energy.

This game was a showcase of Duke’s offensive prowess, led by Tyrese Proctor, who put on a shooting clinic that had the Lenovo Center rocking. Proctor finished with 25 points, going 9-of-10 from the field and 7-of-8 from beyond the arc, while adding 3 assists, as reported by Frankie Vision and Kate Rogerson on X. His back-to-back threes in the first half sparked Duke’s game-changing run, and his jumper in the second half at 5:42 pushed the lead to 20, effectively putting the game out of reach. Cooper Flagg was a force on both ends, contributing 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, his dunk with 54 seconds left in the first half sending the crowd into a frenzy, while his defensive presence, including a block on Jeremy Roach, stifled Baylor’s comeback attempts. Khaman Maluach added 10 points, including a highlight-reel dunk in the second half, and 3 blocks, dominating the paint with his 7-foot frame. For Baylor, Norchad Omier battled hard with 16 points and 9 rebounds, his layups in the second half keeping the Bears in the fight, but foul trouble limited his impact. VJ Edgecombe showed flashes of brilliance with 14 points, including a dunk that brought Baylor within two in the first half, while Jeremy Roach, a former Duke player, added 10 points in an emotional return, earning a shoutout from @dukebluesamurai on X for his five-year career as a Blue Devil. Langston Love chipped in 11 points, including a late three, but Baylor’s 25-of-68 shooting and 5 turnovers couldn’t match Duke’s efficiency—54.5% from the field, 8-of-15 from three, and 19-of-23 from the free-throw line. The Blue Devils also dominated the boards 39-32, with 17 assists showcasing their teamwork, while Baylor’s 6 turnovers and 16 fouls, as noted by @EVANizFUNKY on X, highlighted the referee disparity that frustrated Bears fans.

The Lenovo Center was a sea of blue on March 23, 2025, with 19,244 fans packing the arena to witness Duke’s dominant performance over Baylor, and the atmosphere was nothing short of electric. The game tipped off with a roar as Baylor won the jump ball, but Duke fans erupted when Tyrese Proctor drained a three-pointer at 18:46, assisted by Cooper Flagg, giving the Blue Devils an early 3-0 lead. Baylor answered with VJ Edgecombe’s dunk at 12:23, cutting the lead to 15-13, and the Bears’ faithful cheered as Robert Wright III’s jumper tied it at 15-15, but the momentum shifted when Proctor hit back-to-back threes at 6:25 and 5:33, pushing Duke’s lead to 30-24, and the crowd’s energy surged with every shot. The first half ended with a bang—Flagg’s dunk with 54 seconds left made it 45-30, and the arena shook as fans chanted ‘Let’s Go Duke!’ heading into halftime. The second half brought more drama, with Baylor’s Norchad Omier powering in for a layup at 19:41 to make it 47-32, but Duke responded with Khaman Maluach’s thunderous dunk at 17:46, assisted by Proctor, stretching the lead to 53-36 and drawing a deafening ovation. The defining moment came at 5:42 when Proctor nailed another three, making it 76-56, and you could feel the game slipping away from Baylor as Duke fans began celebrating. Baylor’s Langston Love hit a three with 2:37 left to make it 84-64, but the Blue Devils closed out in style with Caleb Foster’s layup at 1:14, sealing the 89-66 final score. As the buzzer sounded, Duke players mobbed each other on the court, their Sweet 16 berth secured, while Baylor’s Jeremy Roach received a standing ovation from the Duke crowd, a nod to his legacy as a Blue Devil, making this game a memorable chapter in March Madness history.