Flagg's big 2nd half helps No. 2 Duke hold off NC State 74-64 to stay unbeaten in ACC
AP
Jan 28, 2025
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Star freshman Cooper Flagg scored 23 of his 28 points after halftime to help No. 2 Duke Blue Devils hold off North Carolina State 74-64 on Monday night.
Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel had 19 points for the Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won 14 straight games. And they had to fight the entire way to get there.
That's because the Wolfpack (9-11, 2-7) played loose and fearlessly to build a 13-point first-half lead and then stay within reach of Duke every time the Blue Devils tried to push free in the final 10 minutes.
Dontrez Styles scored 18 points for N.C. State, which shot just 32% after halftime but matched its season high with 10 3-pointers.
This was a rematch of an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game won by the Wolfpack during the program's improbable Final Four run last year. The game also had a pair of stoppages in the last 4 1/2 minutes for health reasons, first when Duke freshman center Khaman Maluach vomited on the baseline during play and then when one of the “Cameron Crazies” fans apparently fainted and had to be carried out of the bleachers.
N.C. State: The Wolfpack entered having lost four straight league games by a combined margin of 14 points, and coach Kevin Keatts' club gave Duke fits all night in this one.
Duke: The Blue Devils were coming off their closest call in league play, a 63-56 win Saturday at Wake Forest. This one was another test.
Duke ran off 19 consecutive points spanning halftime, first with the final seven points of the first half and then the first 12 of the second. Flagg scored eight in that run, which erased Duke's big first-half deficit.
Marcus Hill, the Wolfpack's leading scorer at 13.2 points per game, finished with four on 1-for-10 shooting. His lone basket came on a whistle-drawing layup at the 4:40 mark.
Both teams play Saturday. N.C. State hosts Clemson, while Duke hosts rival North Carolina.
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1st Half
NCST
Wolfpack
37
DUKE
Blue Devils
33
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Ben Middlebrooks vs. Khaman Maluach (Cooper Flagg gains possession)
19:45
Sion James turnover (lost ball) (Ben Middlebrooks steals)
19:45
Michael O'Connell turnover (bad pass)
19:26
Jayden Taylor personal foul
19:21
+2
Khaman Maluach makes two point layup
0-2
19:03
Marcus Hill misses two point jump shot
19:01
Wolfpack offensive rebound
18:50
+3
Dontrez Styles makes three point jump shot (Jayden Taylor assists)
3-2
18:23
Cooper Flagg turnover (bad pass) (Jayden Taylor steals)
18:17
Jayden Taylor misses two point layup
18:15
Marcus Hill offensive rebound
18:09
+2
Michael O'Connell makes two point jump shot
5-2
17:59
Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot
17:57
Khaman Maluach offensive rebound
17:54
Khaman Maluach misses two point layup
17:52
Ben Middlebrooks defensive rebound
17:39
Marcus Hill misses two point jump shot
17:37
Ben Middlebrooks offensive rebound
17:33
Jayden Taylor misses two point jump shot
17:31
Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
17:25
Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
17:23
Michael O'Connell defensive rebound
17:13
Dontrez Styles misses two point jump shot
17:11
Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound
16:50
Tyrese Proctor misses two point layup
16:48
Michael O'Connell defensive rebound
16:44
Jayden Taylor misses two point layup
16:42
Kon Knueppel defensive rebound
16:37
Michael O'Connell shooting foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul)
16:37
+1
Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 2
5-3
16:37
+1
Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 2 of 2
5-4
16:14
Dontrez Styles turnover (out of bounds)
16:00
TV timeout
15:58
Mason Gillis misses three point jump shot
15:56
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield defensive rebound
15:49
+3
Dontrez Styles makes three point jump shot (Paul McNeil assists)
8-4
15:25
Paul McNeil blocks Kon Knueppel's two point jump shot
15:23
Mason Gillis offensive rebound
15:12
+2
Cooper Flagg makes two point jump shot
8-6
14:52
+2
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes two point jump shot (Paul McNeil assists)
10-6
14:29
+3
Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Proctor assists)
10-9
14:00
+2
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield makes two point dunk (Paul McNeil assists)
12-9
13:39
Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot
13:37
Khaman Maluach offensive rebound
13:32
Khaman Maluach misses two point layup
13:30
Dontrez Styles defensive rebound
13:21
Paul McNeil misses three point jump shot
13:19
Khaman Maluach defensive rebound
13:13
Kon Knueppel turnover (bad pass) (Michael O'Connell steals)
13:09
Dontrez Styles misses three point jump shot
13:07
Cooper Flagg defensive rebound
13:07
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield personal foul
12:46
Isaiah Evans misses three point jump shot
12:44
Patrick Ngongba II offensive rebound
12:42
Patrick Ngongba II turnover (lost ball) (Brandon Huntley-Hatfield steals)
12:21
+3
Trey Parker makes three point jump shot
15-9
11:46
Patrick Ngongba II misses three point jump shot
11:46
Blue Devils offensive rebound
11:46
Blue Devils turnover (shot clock violation)
11:44
TV timeout
11:36
Patrick Ngongba II personal foul
11:26
+3
Jayden Taylor makes three point jump shot (Breon Pass assists)
18-9
11:06
+2
Patrick Ngongba II makes two point layup (Sion James assists)