Duke basketball began its West Coast trip with concerns about its defense. However, the team left with a clear answer to those questions.

The No. 6 Blue Devils (17-1, 6-0 ACC) completed their two-game West Coast swing by defeating Cal 71-56 on Wednesday and finishing with an 80-50 victory over Stanford on Saturday night. This marked the second time since Cal and Stanford joined the ACC in 2024 that a team has swept the trip, and the first this season.

Before Saturday’s game, Wake Forest was the only ACC team to achieve this feat, having done so last season.

“That’s a special thing that we’re really proud of,” said head coach Jon Scheyer after the game on the Blue Devils Sports Network. “For us, we’re always trying to be different. The best way to be different is when not a lot of teams come out here and do that.”

Duke held Stanford to 35.2% shooting from the field, marking the second time this season the team has limited an opponent to 37% or less. They also forced 18 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Blue Devils.

“I thought it was maybe our best defensive game for 40 minutes,” Scheyer said. “Our guys, I thought they had an edge from the get-go. There were no let ups.”

The Blue Devils managed to hold the ACC’s leading scorer, Ebuka Okorie, to just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting, along with four turnovers. This was largely due to the defensive efforts of Dame Sarr. It was only the second time this season that Okorie scored single digits, following a 36-point performance against UNC.

Sarr acknowledged the challenge posed by Okorie. “It was a team effort, and of course we knew how good he is,” Sarr said. “He’s coming off a strong, strong game. So we knew he was the key of the game and we tried to take him out.”

Cameron Boozer was a standout performer for Duke, scoring 30 points and logging his ninth double-double of the year with 14 rebounds. He started the game with six straight points and shot 10-of-14 from the field, helping the Blue Devils dominate the paint 44-20, their highest point total in the paint this season.

Patrick Ngongba II contributed 13 points, while Isaiah Evans recorded his sixth consecutive game with double-digit points, scoring 15.

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“Having players like Cameron Boozer, Pat Ngongba II, they’re unbelievable and we’re lucky to have them,” Sarr said. “They always put pressure in the paint and that helps us to have open shots.”

This game marked the most complete 40-minute performance of the season for Duke. The team showed flashes of this capability, especially in the second half against Louisville, where they outscored the Cardinals 46-26 and held them to 32% shooting. They also demonstrated this against Cal, holding them to a season-low 26 points in the second half on 31.8% shooting.

However, against Stanford, everything came together for the Blue Devils. There were no slow starts, as Duke never trailed, with Stanford making just 1-of-9 shots to start the game. This victory marked the largest margin of victory in conference play for the team so far.

“I thought we were able to put it together on both sides of the ball,” Scheyer said. “We’re growing, which is what you want. We have to continue to grow, but I’m really proud of our guys.”

Duke will have a week off before returning home to Cameron Indoor Stadium to host Wake Forest on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 5:45 p.m. ET.