Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener

AP
Nov 04, 2024

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his college debut, and No. 7 Duke beat Maine 96-62 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg - the nation’s top-ranked recruit and a preseason Associated Press All-American - made 6 of 15 shots and all six of his free throws. Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel powered the offense with 22 points and three 3-pointers for the Blue Devils (1-0), who shot 55.6% for the game.

Quion Burns scored 15 points for the Black Bears (0-1), which shot just 6 for 24 (25%) after halftime as Duke pulled away.

Maine: The Black Bears were picked fourth in the America East, their highest projected finish since the 2010-11 season. They hung around in the first half (45.5% shooting) but everything was a struggle after the break.

Duke: The Atlantic Coast Conference favorite had six players score in double figures, including returnees Caleb Foster (11) and Tyrese Proctor (10).

Duke pulled away with an 11-0 run in the second half. Knueppel made a corner 3 off a feed from Flagg and Sion James scored twice in the paint to push the margin to 60-39 with 14:33 left.

Knueppel, a 6-7 wing, had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting with a pair of 3s by halftime. That included a 4-point play in transition that had him outscoring Maine 13-9 in those opening 7 1/2 minutes as Duke ran out to a double-digit lead.

The Blue Devils host Army on Friday in a home tuneup before facing No. 23 Kentucky in next week's Champions Classic in Atlanta. The Black Bears return home Wednesday to host Maine-Fort Kent, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association member.

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1st Half
ME
Black Bears
33
DUKE
Blue Devils
44

Time		Play	Score
20:00		Keelan Steele vs. Khaman Maluach (Cooper Flagg gains possession)
19:49		Keelan Steele personal foul (Khaman Maluach draws the foul)
19:38	+2	Kon Knueppel makes two point layup	0-2
19:07		Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot
19:05		Black Bears offensive rebound
19:05		Black Bears turnover
18:55		Quion Burns personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul)
18:43	+2	Khaman Maluach makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists)	0-4
18:24		Quion Burns misses two point jump shot
18:22		Khaman Maluach defensive rebound
18:15		Tyrese Proctor turnover (bad pass) (Kellen Tynes steals)
17:53		Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass)
17:45		Caleb Foster turnover (lost ball) (Kellen Tynes steals)
17:30		Kellen Tynes misses two point jump shot
17:28		Keelan Steele offensive rebound
17:21	+2	Keelan Steele makes two point layup	2-4
17:11	+2	Khaman Maluach makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists)	2-6
17:05		Caleb Foster personal foul
16:53		Jaden Clayton misses three point jump shot
16:51		Kellen Tynes offensive rebound
16:41	+2	Quion Burns makes two point layup (Kellen Tynes assists)	4-6
16:34		Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
16:32		Quion Burns defensive rebound
16:20	+2	Quion Burns makes two point jump shot	6-6
16:03	+2	Caleb Foster makes two point layup	6-8
16:03		Jaden Clayton shooting foul (Caleb Foster draws the foul)
16:03		Caleb Foster misses regular free throw 1 of 1
16:03		Killian Gribben defensive rebound
15:49		Quion Burns misses three point jump shot
15:47		Maliq Brown defensive rebound
15:42	+2	Mason Gillis makes two point layup (Caleb Foster assists)	6-10
15:07		Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot
15:05		Cooper Flagg defensive rebound
14:58		Quion Burns personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul)
15:06		TV timeout
14:54		AJ Lopez shooting foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul)
14:54	+1	Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 2	6-11
14:54	+1	Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 2 of 2	6-12
14:38	+3	Christopher Mantis makes three point jump shot (AJ Lopez assists)	9-12
14:29		Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot
14:27		Christopher Mantis defensive rebound
14:21		Christopher Mantis turnover (lost ball) (Kon Knueppel steals)
14:17	+2	Kon Knueppel makes two point layup	9-14
14:11		Maliq Brown personal foul
14:04		Christopher Mantis misses three point jump shot
14:02		Maliq Brown defensive rebound
13:54	+3	Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists)	9-17
13:36		Kellen Tynes turnover (bad pass) (Cooper Flagg steals)
13:35		Novak Perovic personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul)
13:25		Novak Perovic personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul)
13:25	+1	Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 1	9-18
13:25	+1	Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 2 of 2	9-19
13:13		Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass) (Maliq Brown steals)
13:09	+3	Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Maliq Brown assists)	9-22
13:09		Jaden Clayton shooting foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul)
13:09	+1	Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 1	9-23
12:38		Killian Gribben misses two point jump shot
12:36		Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
12:27	+3	Mason Gillis makes three point jump shot (Kon Knueppel assists)	9-26
12:21		Black Bears 30 second timeout
12:21		TV timeout
12:02	+3	Christopher Mantis makes three point jump shot (Jaden Clayton assists)	12-26
11:46		Tyrese Proctor misses two point jump shot
11:44		Khaman Maluach offensive rebound
11:42		Sion James misses three point jump shot
11:40		Jaden Clayton defensive rebound
11:33		Khaman Maluach blocks Logan Carey's two point layup
11:30		Jaden Clayton offensive rebound
11:28	+2	Jaden Clayton makes two point layup	14-26
11:10		Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
11:08		Christopher Mantis defensive rebound
11:00	+2	Jaden Clayton makes two point jump shot	16-26
10:43		Khaman Maluach turnover (bad pass) (Jaden Clayton steals)
10:25	+2	Novak Perovic makes two point layup	18-26
10:02		Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
10:00		Khaman Maluach offensive rebound
9:59	+3	Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot (Khaman Maluach assists)	18-29
9:28		Khaman Maluach blocks Christopher Mantis's two point layup
9:26		Kon Knueppel defensive rebound
9:20		Kon Knueppel turnover (carrying)
8:55		Jaden Clayton misses two point jump shot
8:53		Isaiah Evans defensive rebound
8:40	+2	Caleb Foster makes two point jump shot	18-31
8:18		AJ Lopez misses two point jump shot
8:16		Cooper Flagg defensive rebound
8:08		Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot
8:06		Ridvan Tutic defensive rebound
7:53		Isaiah Evans personal foul (AJ Lopez draws the foul)
7:53		TV timeout
7:40	+2	Kellen Tynes makes two point jump shot	20-31
7:22		Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot
7:20		Quion Burns defensive rebound
6:52		Logan Carey misses two point layup
6:50		Isaiah Evans defensive rebound
6:45		Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot
6:43		Kellen Tynes defensive rebound
6:35		AJ Lopez misses two point jump shot
6:33		Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
6:28		Isaiah Evans misses three point jump shot
6:26		Cooper Flagg offensive rebound
6:25	+2	Cooper Flagg makes two point layup	20-33
6:10		Isaiah Evans personal foul (AJ Lopez draws the foul)
5:56	+2	Quion Burns makes two point jump shot	22-33
5:45		Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot
5:43		Christopher Mantis defensive rebound
5:23	+2	Keelan Steele makes two point layup	24-33
5:13		Caleb Foster misses two point layup
5:11		Quion Burns defensive rebound
5:07		Quion Burns turnover (bad pass) (Mason Gillis steals)
5:03		Mason Gillis turnover (bad pass) (Kellen Tynes steals)
5:00		Mason Gillis shooting foul (Kellen Tynes draws the foul)
5:00		Kellen Tynes misses regular free throw 1 of 2
5:00	+1	Kellen Tynes makes regular free throw 2 of 2	25-33
4:43	+2	Kon Knueppel makes two point layup	25-35
4:39		Sion James personal foul
4:22		Quion Burns turnover (lost ball) (Mason Gillis steals)
4:22		Quion Burns turnover (lost ball) (Mason Gillis steals)
4:17		Sion James turnover (bad pass) (AJ Lopez steals)
4:14		TV timeout
3:50	+2	Kellen Tynes makes two point jump shot	27-35
3:26	+2	Cooper Flagg makes two point dunk	27-37
3:10		Quion Burns misses two point jump shot
3:08		Khaman Maluach defensive rebound
2:57	+3	Sion James makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists)	27-40
2:37		Kellen Tynes misses two point jump shot
2:35		Khaman Maluach defensive rebound
2:23		Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot
2:21		Kellen Tynes defensive rebound
2:08	+2	Keelan Steele makes two point layup	29-40
1:51	+2	Cooper Flagg makes two point layup (Sion James assists)	29-42
1:29	+2	Keelan Steele makes two point layup	31-42
1:27		Blue Devils 30 second timeout
1:18		Cooper Flagg misses two point layup
1:16		Maliq Brown offensive rebound
1:16	+2	Maliq Brown makes two point dunk	31-44
1:05		Quion Burns misses three point jump shot
1:03		Quion Burns offensive rebound
1:02		Jaden Clayton misses two point jump shot
1:00		Killian Gribben offensive rebound
0:57	+2	Killian Gribben makes two point layup	33-44
0:35		Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot
0:33		Jaden Clayton defensive rebound
0:33		Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass)
0:03		Blue Devils turnover (shot clock violation)
0:00		Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot
0:00		End of period

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Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener

1st Half
ME
Black Bears
33
DUKE
Blue Devils
44

Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener

1st Half MEBlack Bears33DUKEBlue Devils44

1st Half
ME
Black Bears
33
DUKE
Blue Devils
44