NEW YORK — Cooper Flagg showcased his skills during his debut at Madison Square Garden, contributing 16 points as part of No. 3 Duke’s overwhelming 110-67 victory over Illinois. This defeat represents the most significant loss in the history of the Illinois basketball program.
Isaiah Evans led the Blue Devils (24-3) with 17 points during his 18 minutes on the court, while Kon Knueppel contributed 15 points. Duke established a commanding 23-point lead in the first half and recorded its highest score since a lopsided 113-49 win against Stetson in December 2018.
The freshman standout, Flagg, who is projected to be a top draft pick in the upcoming NBA draft, also secured seven rebounds and dished out five assists in just over 23 minutes of action. Remarkably, the Blue Devils managed to achieve such an impressive score without Flagg needing to deliver a standout performance, marking their most significant win at Madison Square Garden.
For Illinois (17-11), Tre White was the leading scorer with 16 points in a game that pitted two programs that made it to the Elite Eight in the previous season against each other. Kasparas Jakucionis also made a notable contribution with 14 points.
In recent games, Illinois has struggled, dealing with illnesses among players and an injury to forward Morez Johnson Jr. After a solid 12-3 start, they have now lost three consecutive games, averaging a 26-point deficit against teams that were ranked in the top 11 during those matchups.
On the other hand, Duke is aiming for a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and has established one of the most formidable defenses in the nation. They displayed exceptional defensive work in this match, marking their first game since key defender Maliq Brown dislocated his shoulder during a recent victory against Virginia.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Flagg, who had been quiet due to early fouls, electrified the audience by opening the second half with a fast-break dunk. He followed up with another impressive slam minutes later, delighting the sold-out crowd of 19,812 that came to witness an exciting display of basketball.
A critical statistic from the game revealed the struggles of Illinois from beyond the arc, as they failed to make their first 17 three-point attempts and ended up going just 2 for 26 from that range.
Looking ahead, Illinois will return to Big Ten action on Tuesday night as they host Iowa, while Duke is set to travel to Miami for their next matchup the same evening.
