Knueppel, Flagg help No. 2 Duke pull away late to beat rival UNC 82-69
AP
Mar 09, 2025
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) Freshman Kon Knueppel scored 17 points to help No. 2 Duke Blue Devils beat rival North Carolina Tar Heels 82-69 on Saturday night and clinch the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
Cooper Flagg added 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists despite first-half foul trouble for the Blue Devils (28-3, 19-1).
Duke blew a 15-point first-half lead and trailed by seven midway early after the break, but responded with 12 consecutive points to turn the game and silence a roaring hostile crowd.
The Blue Devils are now in position to rise to No. 1 in Monday's AP Top 25 poll with top-ranked Auburn losing its past two games.
Fifth-year senior RJ Davis scored 20 points in his final home game for Tar Heels (20-12), who were blown out in the first meeting but responded with far more resilience this time before Duke asserted control to stretch out the lead in the final seven minutes.
Duke: The Final Four favorite completed the first 19-1 regular-season slate since the ACC moved to 20 games in 2019-20.
UNC: The Tar Heels had won six straight coming in with their best play of the season to play their way back into better positioning for an NCAA bid. But this was their last certain chance to add a resume-topping win to help that case.
UNC led 59-53 when Duke made its move with 12 straight points in a 15-2 burst that put the Blue Devils ahead to stay. That included Knueppel's backdoor layup for the lead, while versatile defender Maliq Brown had a big 3-pointer in his return from injury that pushed Duke to a 68-61 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left.
UNC missed 22 of its last 27 shots in the final 15-plus minutes as Duke made its move.
The ACC Tournament starts Tuesday in Charlotte. Duke opens play as the 1-seed in Thursday's quarterfinals. UNC is the 5-seed and will play in Wednesday's second round.
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1st Half
DUKE
Blue Devils
43
UNC
Tar Heels
42
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Khaman Maluach vs. Ty Claude (Sion James gains possession)
19:31
+2
Kon Knueppel makes two point jump shot
2-0
19:12
RJ Davis turnover (Khaman Maluach steals)
19:08
Elliot Cadeau blocks Tyrese Proctor's two point layup
19:06
Blue Devils offensive rebound
19:03
+3
Cooper Flagg makes three point jump shot (Kon Knueppel assists)
5-0
18:40
+2
Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup
5-2
18:19
Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot
18:17
Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound
18:01
Elliot Cadeau turnover (Kon Knueppel steals)
17:52
Elliot Cadeau shooting foul (Sion James draws the foul)
17:52
Sion James misses regular free throw 1 of 2
17:52
+1
Sion James makes regular free throw 2 of 2
6-2
17:44
Elliot Cadeau misses two point jump shot
17:42
Cooper Flagg defensive rebound
17:35
Cooper Flagg misses two point hook shot
17:33
Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound
17:25
Elliot Cadeau turnover (Sion James steals)
17:20
+2
Sion James makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists)
8-2
16:58
+3
Drake Powell makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists)
8-5
16:26
Sion James turnover (Elliot Cadeau steals)
16:12
Elliot Cadeau misses two point layup
16:10
Blue Devils defensive rebound
16:03
Kon Knueppel turnover (Drake Powell steals)
15:49
Cooper Flagg shooting foul (Drake Powell draws the foul)
15:49
TV timeout
15:49
+1
Drake Powell makes regular free throw 1 of 2
8-6
15:49
+1
Drake Powell makes regular free throw 2 of 2
8-7
15:42
Drake Powell personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul)
15:38
Kon Knueppel turnover (Seth Trimble steals)
15:20
Seth Trimble misses three point jump shot
15:18
Sion James defensive rebound
15:09
+2
Sion James makes two point layup
10-7
15:09
Ian Jackson shooting foul (Sion James draws the foul)
15:09
+1
Sion James makes regular free throw 1 of 1
11-7
14:50
+3
RJ Davis makes three point jump shot
11-10
14:29
Isaiah Evans turnover
14:17
Ian Jackson misses three point jump shot
14:15
Sion James defensive rebound
14:03
+3
Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Maliq Brown assists)
14-10
13:46
Isaiah Evans shooting foul (Seth Trimble draws the foul)
13:46
+1
Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 1 of 2
14-11
13:46
+1
Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 2 of 2
14-12
13:30
+3
Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Maliq Brown assists)
17-12
13:00
Seth Trimble misses two point jump shot
12:58
Maliq Brown defensive rebound
12:53
Cooper Flagg offensive foul
12:53
Cooper Flagg turnover (offensive foul)
12:35
+2
Ian Jackson makes two point layup
17-14
12:15
+3
Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot
20-14
12:04
RJ Davis misses two point jump shot
12:02
Isaiah Evans defensive rebound
11:53
+2
Kon Knueppel makes two point layup
22-14
11:30
+3
Ian Jackson makes three point jump shot
22-17
11:15
Tyrese Proctor misses two point layup
11:13
Khaman Maluach offensive rebound
11:10
+2
Khaman Maluach makes two point layup
24-17
11:02
Mason Gillis shooting foul (Seth Trimble draws the foul)
11:02
TV timeout
11:02
+1
Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 1 of 2
24-18
11:02
+1
Seth Trimble makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-19
10:49
+2
Sion James makes two point layup
26-19
10:25
Jae'Lyn Withers misses three point jump shot
10:23
Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
9:58
+3
Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot
29-19
9:43
+2
Jalen Washington makes two point layup (Elliot Cadeau assists)
29-21
9:21
+2
Tyrese Proctor makes two point layup
31-21
8:57
Seth Trimble misses two point layup
8:55
Sion James defensive rebound
8:39
Ian Jackson shooting foul (Tyrese Proctor draws the foul)
8:39
+1
Tyrese Proctor makes regular free throw 1 of 2
32-21
8:39
+1
Tyrese Proctor makes regular free throw 2 of 2
33-21
8:17
Jae'Lyn Withers misses two point jump shot
8:15
Isaiah Evans defensive rebound
8:09
Elliot Cadeau shooting foul (Isaiah Evans draws the foul)
8:09
+1
Isaiah Evans makes regular free throw 1 of 3
34-21
8:09
+1
Isaiah Evans makes regular free throw 2 of 3
35-21
8:09
+1
Isaiah Evans makes regular free throw 3 of 3
36-21
7:52
Jae'Lyn Withers misses three point jump shot
7:50
Maliq Brown defensive rebound
7:43
Maliq Brown offensive foul
7:43
Maliq Brown turnover (offensive foul)
7:43
TV timeout
7:32
Maliq Brown personal foul
7:25
+2
Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point layup
36-23
7:02
Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
7:00
RJ Davis defensive rebound
6:56
+3
RJ Davis makes three point jump shot
36-26
6:28
+3
Mason Gillis makes three point jump shot (Kon Knueppel assists)
39-26
6:02
Tyrese Proctor personal foul
6:02
+1
RJ Davis makes regular free throw 1 of 2
39-27
6:02
+1
RJ Davis makes regular free throw 2 of 2
39-28
5:35
Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot
5:33
Ven-Allen Lubin defensive rebound
5:28
RJ Davis misses two point layup
5:26
Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
5:20
Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
5:18
Blue Devils offensive rebound
5:13
Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot
5:11
Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound
5:05
+2
Jae'Lyn Withers makes two point layup
39-30
4:47
+2
Cooper Flagg makes two point jump shot
41-30
4:21
Drake Powell misses two point layup
4:19
Khaman Maluach defensive rebound
4:09
Ven-Allen Lubin blocks Isaiah Evans's two point layup
4:07
Drake Powell defensive rebound
4:02
Seth Trimble misses two point layup
4:00
Ven-Allen Lubin offensive rebound
3:57
+2
Ven-Allen Lubin makes two point layup
41-32
3:45
Sion James turnover (Seth Trimble steals)
3:35
Drake Powell misses three point jump shot
3:33
Cooper Flagg defensive rebound
3:18
Cooper Flagg offensive foul
3:18
Cooper Flagg turnover (offensive foul)
3:18
TV timeout
2:58
+2
Ven-Allen Lubin makes two point layup (Jae'Lyn Withers assists)
41-34
2:58
Sion James shooting foul (Ven-Allen Lubin draws the foul)
2:58
+1
Ven-Allen Lubin makes regular free throw 1 of 1
41-35
2:44
Mason Gillis misses three point jump shot
2:42
Ven-Allen Lubin defensive rebound
2:22
+3
RJ Davis makes three point jump shot
41-38
1:58
Sion James turnover (Ian Jackson steals)
1:51
+2
RJ Davis makes two point layup
41-40
1:48
Blue Devils 30 second timeout
1:40
Seth Trimble personal foul
1:33
RJ Davis shooting foul (Sion James draws the foul)
