Cooper Flagg returns to New England and leads No. 3 Duke past Boston College 88-63
BOSTON (AP) Cooper Flagg scored 28 points, settling down after missing four of his first five shots on Saturday night to lead No. 3 Duke to its 12th straight victory, 88-63 over Boston College.
Tyrese Proctor added 20 points for the Blue Devils (16-2, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). But the person drawing the pro scouts and a sellout crowd - the bulk of them Duke fans - was Flagg, who was playing his first college game in New England since leaving Maine for Tobacco Road.
Chad Venning scored 19 for Boston College (9-9, 1-5). Duke has beaten BC in 10 consecutive meetings since the Eagles upset the top-ranked Blue Devils in Conte Forum on Dec. 9, 2017.
BC led for almost all of the first 15 minutes, taking an 18-11 lead midway through the first half before the Blue Devils scored 11 of the next 13 points. The Eagles led for the last time at 24-22 before Duke went on a 11-3 run – with nine of the points scored by Flagg.
Duke: The Blue Devils aren't getting much competition in the ACC this season. They're the only school in the AP Top 25 from the conference, which had four teams in the final 2024 rankings.
Boston College: The Eagles have lost four straight ACC games since their victory over Miami on New Year's Day.
About 90 seconds into the game, Flagg and Khaman Maluach combined to block a shot under the BC basket and Flagg was slow to get up, favoring his ankle. He did not make it down the court on defense, but seemed fine when the play returned to the Duke end.
Duke notched its 14th double-digit victory of the season and its 11th by at least 20 points.
Duke is at Wake Forest on Saturday, and BC plays at Virginia on Tuesday.
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| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Â | Khaman Maluach vs. Chad Venning (Chad Venning gains possession) | Â |
| 19:31 | | +2 | Chad Venning makes two point driving layup | 0-2 |
| 19:15 |  | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point driving layup | 2-2 |
| 18:52 | | Â | Chad Venning misses two point driving layup | Â |
| 18:50 | | Â | Chad Venning offensive rebound | Â |
| 18:43 | | +2 | Chad Venning makes two point driving layup | 2-4 |
| 18:29 | | Â | Khaman Maluach misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 18:27 | | Â | Donald Hand Jr. defensive rebound | Â |
| 18:20 | | Â | Khaman Maluach blocks Donald Hand Jr.'s two point driving layup | Â |
| 18:18 | | Â | Sion James defensive rebound | Â |
| 18:10 | | +3 | Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot (Sion James assists) | 5-4 |
| 17:43 | | +2 | Chad Venning makes two point driving hook shot | 5-6 |
| 17:17 | | Â | Cooper Flagg misses two point fadeaway jump shot | Â |
| 17:15 | | Â | Khaman Maluach offensive rebound | Â |
| 17:05 | | Â | Chad Venning blocks Khaman Maluach's two point putback layup | Â |
| 17:03 | | Â | Joshua Beadle defensive rebound | Â |
| 16:52 | | +3 | Donald Hand Jr. makes three point jump shot (Joshua Beadle assists) | 5-9 |
| 16:37 | | +2 | Khaman Maluach makes two point driving dunk | 7-9 |
| 16:04 | | Â | Donald Hand Jr. misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | Â |
| 16:02 | | Â | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:46 | | Â | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:44 | | Â | Joshua Beadle defensive rebound | Â |
| 15:35 | | +2 | Joshua Beadle makes two point driving layup | 7-11 |
| 15:11 | | Â | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 15:09 | | Â | Dion Brown defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:54 | | Â | Donald Hand Jr. misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 14:52 | | Â | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | Â |
| 14:41 | | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point pullup jump shot | 9-11 |
| 14:11 | | +2 | Joshua Beadle makes two point driving reverse layup (Dion Brown assists) | 9-13 |
| 13:48 | | Â | Roger McFarlane shooting foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | Â |
| 13:48 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 13:48 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 10-13 |
| 13:48 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-13 |
| 13:25 | | +2 | Jayden Hastings makes two point cutting layup (Dion Brown assists) | 11-15 |
| 13:04 | | Â | Cooper Flagg misses two point driving reverse layup | Â |
| 13:02 | | Â | Jayden Hastings defensive rebound | Â |
| 12:49 | | Â | Chas Kelley III misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot | Â |
| 12:47 | | Â | Mason Gillis defensive rebound | Â |
| 12:36 | | Â | Jayden Hastings blocks Kon Knueppel's two point driving layup | Â |
| 12:34 | | Â | Mason Gillis offensive rebound | Â |
| 12:34 | | Â | Dion Brown personal foul | Â |
| 12:26 | | Â | Caleb Foster misses two point driving layup | Â |
| 12:24 | | Â | Jayden Hastings defensive rebound | Â |
| 12:17 | | Â | Mason Gillis shooting foul (Donald Hand Jr. draws the foul) | Â |
| 12:17 | | Â | Jayden Hastings misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â |
| 12:17 | | +1 | Jayden Hastings makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-16 |
| 11:57 | | Â | Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 11:55 | | Â | Roger McFarlane defensive rebound | Â |
| 11:36 | | +2 | Jayden Hastings makes two point driving layup (Chas Kelley III assists) | 11-18 |
| 11:14 | | +2 | Patrick Ngongba II makes two point driving layup (Tyrese Proctor assists) | 13-18 |
| 10:59 | | Â | Jayden Hastings offensive foul (Patrick Ngongba II draws the foul) | Â |
| 10:59 | | Â | Jayden Hastings turnover (offensive foul) | Â |
| 10:59 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 10:59 | | Â | Patrick Ngongba II misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â |
| 10:59 | | Â | Patrick Ngongba II misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 10:41 | | +2 | Khaman Maluach makes two point driving dunk (Sion James assists) | 15-18 |
| 10:20 | | Â | Khaman Maluach personal foul (Chad Venning draws the foul) | Â |
| 9:58 | | +2 | Chas Kelley III makes two point stepback jump shot | 15-20 |
| 9:40 | | +2 | Sion James makes two point driving layup | 17-20 |
| 9:16 | | Â | Fred Payne misses two point pullup jump shot | Â |
| 9:14 | | Â | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | Â |
| 9:02 | | +2 | Khaman Maluach makes two point cutting dunk (Cooper Flagg assists) | 19-20 |
| 8:43 | | Â | Chas Kelley III turnover (bad pass) (Tyrese Proctor steals) | Â |
| 8:30 | | Â | Isaiah Evans misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 8:28 | | Â | Sion James offensive rebound | Â |
| 8:19 | | +3 | Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot (Sion James assists) | 22-20 |
| 8:06 | | +2 | Chad Venning makes two point driving hook shot | 22-22 |
| 7:47 | | Â | Cooper Flagg misses two point driving layup | Â |
| 7:45 | | Â | Chas Kelley III defensive rebound | Â |
| 7:42 | | Â | Tyrese Proctor personal foul | Â |
| 7:42 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 7:17 | | +2 | Chas Kelley III makes two point driving layup | 22-24 |
| 7:17 | | Â | Khaman Maluach shooting foul (Chas Kelley III draws the foul) | Â |
| 7:17 | | Â | Chas Kelley III misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | Â |
| 7:17 | | Â | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | Â |
| 6:58 | | Â | Chad Venning shooting foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | Â |
| 6:58 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 23-24 |
| 6:55 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 24-24 |
| 6:31 | | Â | Roger McFarlane misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 6:29 | | Â | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | Â |
| 6:22 | | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point jump shot | 26-24 |
| 5:53 | | Â | Tyrese Proctor personal foul (Donald Hand Jr. draws the foul) | Â |
| 5:40 | | Â | Chas Kelley III misses two point stepback jump shot | Â |
| 5:38 | | Â | Sion James defensive rebound | Â |
| 5:29 | | Â | Chad Venning shooting foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | Â |
| 5:29 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-24 |
| 5:29 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-24 |
| 5:11 | | Â | Donald Hand Jr. misses two point pullup jump shot | Â |
| 5:09 | | Â | Eagles offensive rebound | Â |
| 5:01 | | Â | Isaiah Evans shooting foul (Jayden Hastings draws the foul) | Â |
| 5:01 | | Â | Jayden Hastings misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â |
| 5:01 | | +1 | Jayden Hastings makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 28-25 |
| 4:42 | | Â | Sion James misses two point driving reverse layup | Â |
| 4:40 | | Â | Joshua Beadle defensive rebound | Â |
| 4:36 | | Â | Joshua Beadle turnover (traveling) | Â |
| 4:27 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point driving layup | 30-25 |
| 4:09 | | Â | Dion Brown turnover (Cooper Flagg steals) | Â |
| 4:01 | | Â | Mason Gillis turnover (bad pass) | Â |
| 3:39 | | Â | Roger McFarlane misses two point pullup jump shot | Â |
| 3:37 | | Â | Dion Brown offensive rebound | Â |
| 3:25 | | +2 | Dion Brown makes two point driving layup | 30-27 |
| 3:13 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point driving layup | 32-27 |
| 3:13 | | Â | Jayden Hastings shooting foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | Â |
| 3:13 | | Â | TV timeout | Â |
| 3:13 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 33-27 |
| 2:52 | | +2 | Dion Brown makes two point pullup jump shot | 33-29 |
| 2:36 | | Â | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 2:34 | | Â | Mason Gillis offensive rebound | Â |
| 2:30 | | Â | Jayden Hastings personal foul (Isaiah Evans draws the foul) | Â |
| 2:30 | | +1 | Isaiah Evans makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 34-29 |
| 2:30 | | +1 | Isaiah Evans makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 35-29 |
| 2:14 | | Â | Patrick Ngongba II shooting foul (Chad Venning draws the foul) | Â |
| 2:14 | | Â | Chad Venning misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | Â |
| 2:14 | | +1 | Chad Venning makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 35-30 |
| 2:02 | | +3 | Isaiah Evans makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 38-30 |
| 1:29 | | +3 | Roger McFarlane makes three point jump shot | 38-33 |
| 1:04 | | Â | Isaiah Evans misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 1:02 | | Â | Patrick Ngongba II offensive rebound | Â |
| 0:53 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point driving dunk (Patrick Ngongba II assists) | 40-33 |
| 0:21 | | Â | Patrick Ngongba II shooting foul (Donald Hand Jr. draws the foul) | Â |
| 0:21 | | +1 | Donald Hand Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 40-34 |
| 0:21 | | Â | Donald Hand Jr. misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | Â |
| 0:21 | | Â | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | Â |
| 0:16 | | Â | Blue Devils 30 second timeout | Â |
| 0:04 | | Â | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | Â |
| 0:02 | | Â | Blue Devils offensive rebound | Â |
| 0:00 | | Â | End of period | Â |