# No. 2 Duke routs No. 8 Tennessee 103-64 in Cameron Indoor exhibition

Deron Rippey Jr. scored 21 for the Blue Devils, who led 54-30 at halftime and had six players in double figures on Tuesday night.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / College Basketball
Published: 2026-10-21T01:05:54Z
Updated: 2026-10-21T03:28:44Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/duke-leads-tennessee-big-in-cameron-indoor-exhibition-uk5h93
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/f9e09d359db7564b505731ed81d114bd.jpg (Wide view of the interior of Cameron Indoor Stadium, home of Duke basketball, in Durham, North Carolina; credit: James DiBianco / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0))

## Summary
- No. 2 Duke beat No. 8 Tennessee 103-64 in a preseason exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, per On3's recap.
- Deron Rippey Jr. led Duke with 21 points; six Blue Devils scored in double figures. Dai Dai Ames had 19 for Tennessee.
- Duke led 54-30 at halftime and shot 54.5% from the field to Tennessee's 33.9%.
- Tennessee guard Terrence Hill Jr. left early with a left ankle injury; the extent has not been reported.

## What happened

No. 2 Duke beat No. 8 Tennessee 103-64 in a preseason exhibition at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, on Tuesday night, according to On3. BVM Sports' headline gives the same score. A local recap from Ball Durham listed 101-64, so the exact Duke total is not uniform across outlets; the margin is about 37 to 39 points. [1](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/) [3](https://bvmsports.com/2026/10/20/no-2-duke-blows-past-no-8-tennessee-103-64-in-exhibition/) [8](https://balldurham.com/5-important-observations-as-duke-basketball-steamrolls-tennessee-in-exhibition)

Duke led 54-30 at halftime and opened with a 15-0 run, On3 reported. Yahoo Sports reported a 42-point lead at the 5:52 mark of the second half and said Duke topped 100 points for the second straight game after a 102-62 scrimmage win over Belmont. Duke led 54-30 at the half, according to Yahoo's live updates. [1](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/) [2](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html) [4](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tennessee-duke-basketball-live-updates-210053740.html)

Duke shot 54.5% from the field to Tennessee's 33.9% and outscored the Volunteers 46-16 in the paint, 28-7 in transition and 15-0 off turnovers, Yahoo reported. Duke made 11 three-pointers; Tennessee was 4 of 18 from deep, per On3. [2](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html) [1](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/)

## Who stood out

Deron Rippey Jr. scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting with three assists and three steals. John Blackwell added 18, Dame Sarr 15, Patrick Ngongba II 13, and Sebastian Wilkins and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje 11 each, Yahoo reported. Cayden Boozer had a team-high six assists. [2](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html)

Dai Dai Ames led Tennessee with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Juke Harris and Troy Henderson each scored 10, according to On3. Tennessee guard Terrence Hill Jr. left early in the first half with a left ankle injury, On3 reported; the extent of the injury has not been reported. [1](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/)

## Absences and reaction

Duke played without Caleb Foster, who has an ankle injury, and Drew Scharnowski, who has a knee injury, Yahoo reported. Foster said there is a chance he plays in Duke's exhibition at Kansas on Sunday. Coach Jon Scheyer said he was "really proud of the effort." [2](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html)

## Why the game drew attention

Duke was ranked No. 2 and Tennessee No. 8 in the preseason polls, according to Duke Athletics. The two programs are the only ones to reach the Elite Eight in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, the school said. [5](https://goduke.com/news/2026/10/19/mens-basketball-duke-hosts-tennessee-in-top-10-exhibition-matchup)

Duke won last year's exhibition meeting 83-76 at Tennessee, Tennessee Athletics noted. The regular-season series is tied 8-8 across 16 games, and the most recent official meeting was a 65-52 Tennessee win in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. [7](https://utsports.com/news/2026/7/29/mens-basketball-vols-to-visit-duke-for-oct-20-exhibition-matchup)

## Rosters and background

Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans were selected in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Duke's preseason All-ACC first-team picks are Blackwell and Ngongba, per Duke Athletics. [5](https://goduke.com/news/2026/10/19/mens-basketball-duke-hosts-tennessee-in-top-10-exhibition-matchup)

Tennessee rebuilt through the transfer portal, adding nine transfers and four freshmen since March, 247Sports reported. The Volunteers lost their first exhibition 86-70 to Xavier on Oct. 15, making Tuesday their second exhibition loss. [6](https://247sports.com/college/duke/article/duketennessee-preview-familiar-acc-faces-and-a-tougher-test-for-the-blue-devils-depth-291529776/) [1](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/)

## What comes next

Exhibition games do not count in the standings. Duke plays at Kansas on Sunday in another exhibition, per Yahoo Sports, before its regular season begins. [2](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html)

## Reporting sources
1. [On3: How it happened: No. 2 Duke dunks on No. 8 Tennessee in exhibition win](https://www.on3.com/teams/tennessee-volunteers/news/tennessee-vols-basketball-duke-exhibition-loss/) (2026-10-20)
2. [Yahoo Sports: Duke basketball takeaways from exhibition win over Tennessee](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/duke-basketball-takeaways-exhibition-win-023542286.html) (2026-10-21)
3. [BVM Sports: No. 2 Duke Blows Past No. 8 Tennessee 103-64 in Exhibition](https://bvmsports.com/2026/10/20/no-2-duke-blows-past-no-8-tennessee-103-64-in-exhibition/) (2026-10-20)
4. [Yahoo Sports: Tennessee-Duke basketball live updates: Score, stats, highlights](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tennessee-duke-basketball-live-updates-210053740.html) (2026-10-20)
5. [Duke Athletics: Duke Hosts Tennessee in Top-10 Exhibition Matchup](https://goduke.com/news/2026/10/19/mens-basketball-duke-hosts-tennessee-in-top-10-exhibition-matchup) (2026-10-19)
6. [247Sports: Duke-Tennessee preview: Familiar ACC faces and a tougher test for the Blue Devils' depth](https://247sports.com/college/duke/article/duketennessee-preview-familiar-acc-faces-and-a-tougher-test-for-the-blue-devils-depth-291529776/) (2026-10-20)
7. [Tennessee Athletics: Vols to visit Duke for Oct. 20 exhibition matchup](https://utsports.com/news/2026/7/29/mens-basketball-vols-to-visit-duke-for-oct-20-exhibition-matchup) (2026-07-29)
8. [Ball Durham: 5 important observations as Duke basketball steamrolls Tennessee in exhibition](https://balldurham.com/5-important-observations-as-duke-basketball-steamrolls-tennessee-in-exhibition) (2026-10-21)