Kon Knueppel scored 18 points, and Cooper Flagg celebrated his 18th birthday with 13 points as No. 5 Duke cruised to an 82-56 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Blue Devils (10-2, 2-0 ACC) dominated the second half, pulling away after leading by double digits for much of the game. Despite being in Atlanta, the crowd sounded more like Duke’s iconic Cameron Indoor Stadium, with a large contingent of Blue Devils fans cheering on their team.
Knueppel spearheaded Duke’s impressive freshman class, which also saw strong contributions from Khaman Maluach, who added 15 points. On the other side, Baye Ndongo led Georgia Tech (5-7, 0-2 ACC) with 14 points. The win marked Duke’s 18th victory in their last 20 matchups with the Yellow Jackets, extending their all-time series lead to 67-21 since Georgia Tech joined the ACC.
The game was competitive early on, with Georgia Tech making a push in the first half. The Yellow Jackets closed the period on a 14-4 run, cutting Duke’s lead to just 41-36 at halftime after trailing by double digits for much of the opening 20 minutes. However, the Blue Devils quickly regained control in the second half. The momentum shifted when Maluach dunked off a lob from Knueppel, and Duke went on to outscore Georgia Tech 41-20 after the break.
Duke’s offense was highly efficient, shooting 56.4% (31-of-55) from the field and knocking down 10 of their 25 attempts from beyond the arc. The Blue Devils’ defense also stifled Georgia Tech, limiting the Yellow Jackets to just 56 points on 40% shooting. Despite the close finish to the first half, the game was never really in doubt after Duke’s strong second-half performance.
For Georgia Tech, this loss underscored the struggles under second-year head coach Damon Stoudamire. With a record of 19-25 overall and 7-15 in the ACC, Stoudamire is still searching for a way to return the program to its past glory. The Yellow Jackets will look to bounce back in their next game, hosting Alabama A&M next Saturday for their final non-conference matchup before continuing ACC play.
Duke, after their commanding victory, will enjoy a brief holiday break before returning to action on Dec. 31, when they host Virginia Tech for another conference showdown.
