Flagg dropped 28 points in Duke’s blowout win over Boston College
No. 3 Duke got off to a slow start Saturday against Boston College but used a monster second-half performance paced by star freshman Cooper Flagg to exit with a 88-63 win. Flagg finished with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists in Duke’s 12th consecutive win.
Flagg was assessed a technical foul with 6:24 remaining in the second half shortly after blocking a shot. Flagg knocked down a 3-pointer moments later, extending his team’s lead to 25 points.
The Blue Devils are the lone team from the ACC that has yet to lose a conference game this season. Duke is off to its best start in conference play since the 2007-08 season when the program started with 10 consecutive wins against ACC competition.
Duke trailed by as many as seven points in the first half before taking the lead back for good with 6:19 remaining before intermission. The Blue Devils outscored the Eagles 48-29 in the second half.
Boston College fans made the mistake of chanting “overrated” when Flagg got the basketball. The Duke star freshman made them pay with a powerful dunk moments later.
9:Â Flagg recorded his ninth game with at least 20 points in the win over Boston College. Flagg finished with 28 points. Flagg scored a career-high 42 points last weekend against Notre Dame.
Games like this are starting to become the new normal for Flagg. The Duke star shot an efficient 9 of 14 from the floor and knocked down 9 of 11 attempts from the free-throw line. Flagg also added five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Flagg may not have scored 42 points like last weekend, but this performance was one of his best against ACC competition. Grade: A
Duke faces Wake Forest on the road next Saturday. The Demon Deacons sit at 14-4 overall and 6-1 in ACC play. Wake Forest has won its last five games since losing to Clemson on the road.
No. 4 Duke cruised to an 89-54 win over Miami on Tuesday at Cameron Indoor Stadium to improve to 7-0 in ACC play. Duke star freshman Cooper Flagg finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the wire-to-wire win.
The Blue Devils jumped out to a 50-26 halftime advantage over the Hurricanes behind 26 first-half combined points from Flagg and fellow freshman Kon Knueppel. The Blue Devils are off to their best start in conference play since the 2007-08 season.
Flagg was coming off the best game of his career in Duke’s win over Notre Dame last weekend. Flagg set a single-game ACC freshman scoring record by scoring 42 points against the Fighting Irish, marking the first time a Duke player had scored at least 40 points in a game since JJ Redick did it in 2006.
Flagg draws so much attention inside the paint that his teammates are wide-open on the perimeter. On this play, Flagg drives baseline and hits Mason Gillis for a 3-pointer. Flagg’s passing is an underrated skill set in his overall game.
5:Â For the seventh time this season, Flagg recorded at least five assists. He was coming off a career-high seven dimes in last weekend’s win over Notre Dame. Flagg has dished out at least five assists in four of Duke’s last five games.
Flagg’s encore after having the best scoring game by a true freshman in ACC history wasn’t perfect by any means, but he made winning plays to help Duke secure a blowout win. Flagg showed flashes of why his passing can/will translate to the next level and dished out six assists. The reason why Flagg’s grade isn’t higher is he recorded a season-high six turnovers in 28 minutes. Grade: B
After playing its last three games at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke will face Boston College on the road Saturday. The Eagles have lost their last three games and are currently 1-5 in ACC play.
Flagg set a single-game ACC freshman scoring record Saturday with 42 points in an 86-78 win over the visiting Notre Dame Fighting Irish to remain unbeaten in ACC play. Flagg’s career day came on just 14 field goal attempts as he drained four of his six 3-point attempts and finished 16 of 17 from the free-throw line.
Flagg’s 42-burger was as necessary as it was magnificent, as No. 4 Duke built its lead to as many as 18 late in the second. But leading 79-61, Notre Dame staged a furious comeback to get within four points before Flagg helped put things away at the charity stripe late.
The win for Duke gives it a 6-0 start in ACC play for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when it began conference play with 10 consecutive wins.
The entire Duke game was a highlight reel for Flagg. But, per usual, it was his high-flying bunnies that stood out. In the second half he crashed from the top of the key and delivered a poster dunk, launching himself from well outside the restricted area to finish with authority.
