Duke beats Tennessee 103-64 in exhibition contest
The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team dropped a 103-64 exhibition contest against second-ranked Duke on Tuesday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Early Duke Onslaught and Injuries Leave Volunteers Shorthanded
Duke forced misses on Tennessee’s first five field-goal attempts, stringing together 15 straight points in 4 minutes and 13 seconds to grab an early 17-2 lead after 5 minutes and 25 seconds of action. That opening surge extended to 27-4, pushing the Blue Devils ahead by 23 points with 10:49 remaining in the first half.
During that early run, the Volunteers lost junior guard Terrence Hill Jr. to a left ankle injury for the remainder of the game. Tennessee trimmed the deficit to 29-12 with 9:53 left in the half, but Duke maintained control to take a 54-30 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
The shorthanded visitors played without four players for the final 35-plus minutes and five players for the last 17-plus minutes. Sophomore guard Troy Henderson missed the final 17-plus minutes due to a right ankle injury after finishing with 10 points.
Rippey Leads Duke Scoring in Win over Tennessee
Senior guard Dai Dai Ames led Tennessee with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Junior guard Juke Harris added 10 points, while junior forward Braedan Lue pulled down a game-high eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Deron Rippey Jr. paced the Blue Devils with 21 points, shooting 9-of-12 from the floor and grabbing three steals. Senior guard John Blackwell contributed 18 points and five rebounds, and sophomore guard/forward Dame Sarr added 15 points. Junior center Patrick Ngongba II chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds for Duke, which shot 54.5 percent from the field and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Historical Context of Exhibition Play
Tuesday marked the first time Tennessee has played at Cameron Indoor Stadium since Dec. 3, 1975, when the Volunteers claimed an 86-80 victory. Duke is the first Division I team the Volunteers have played multiple exhibition games against, following a previous meeting on Oct. 26, 2025, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Tennessee dropped to 88-22 all-time in exhibition play under head coach Rick Barnes, holding a 16-4 record in exhibition contests. The program has faced an AP top-20 opponent in an exhibition game in each of the past six seasons.
Wofford Season Opener Awaits Volunteers
The Volunteers begin the regular season on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., hosting Wofford at Food City Center with a live broadcast on the SEC Network.