DURHAM, N.C. (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Midway through the first half, Duke’s Isaiah Evans hit a contested corner 3-pointer in the face of Virginia’s Malik Thomas.

As he turned to run up the court, Thomas shook his head in disbelief.

The No. 1-ranked Blue Devils, who average eight 3-pointers a game, hit that many in the first half and led from start to finish, dominating UVA 77-51 on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“They put a ton of pressure on us from git-go,” UVA coach Ryan Odom said. “Evans got them going.”

Isaiah Evans scored 19 points, going 5 for 9 from 3-point range, and Cameron Boozer added 18, going 11 for 12 at the free-throw line, for the Blue Devils, who won their sixth in a row to clinch at least a share of the ACC’s regular-season title. 

“I just needed to keep letting the ball find me,” Evans said.

Thijs DeRidder scored 16 to lead Virginia, which saw its 9-game win streak end, and – with it – its hopes for an ACC regular-season title. 

“I think we were just not ready to play,” DeRidder said. “I think some of our guys were maybe shocked with their fans, maybe shocked with physicality. The coach, we did a great job with scouting. We knew everything and just didn’t execute it.”

Four days ago, UVA’s positional size and length gave North Carolina State fits as the Cavaliers rolled to a 90-61 blowout win. Saturday, the shoe was on the other foot as Duke’s defense gave Virginia’s perimeter players no room to get off shots. 

UVA shot 28.3% from the floor and went 7 for 35 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he didn’t mind giving up so many attempts from 3. His defensive game plan was designed to force UVA into contested shots “because we trust our length.”

Cavalier guards Thomas and Sam Lewis went a combined 0 for 14 from the floor, missing a combined 10 attempts from 3-point range between them.

“I think we needed to play a little bit more scrappier today,” forward Devin Tillis said. “And not let them punch us in the mouth early.”

The formula for a Virginia upset included DeRidder staying out of foul trouble and Duke having a bad 3-point shooting day. 

Early on, it became clear neither of those were in the cards.

Duke entered Saturday shooting 30% from 3 and averaging eight 3-pointers a game.

But Evans hit three of his first four 3-point attempts and DeRidder was whistled for his second foul, a questionable blocking call 7:35 into the contest as the Blue Devils jumped out to a 15-7 lead. 

UVA, meanwhile, hit just one of its first nine 3-point attempts.

Duke was up 41-26 at the half and expanded its lead to as many as 28 after the break. 

Virginia, which hasn’t beaten the nation’s No. 1-ranked team since a 1986 upset of North Carolina, never got closer than 14 in the second half. 

“We don’t need to cry about being 25-4 at this point,” Odom said. “We got beat today. We have two more games left.”