DURHAM, N.C. — In a notable performance, Cooper Flagg achieved a remarkable 42 points, setting a new record for Atlantic Coast Conference freshmen as No. 4 Duke managed to defeat Notre Dame 86-78 on Saturday, remaining undefeated in their conference matches.
Flagg, who stands 6-foot-9 and has been recognized as a preseason All-American by the Associated Press, had an impressive shooting night, hitting 11 of 14 attempts from the field, 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line. He contributed not only in scoring but also with seven assists and six rebounds, demonstrating his versatility by effectively breaking down the Notre Dame defense throughout the game.
Another key contributor for Duke was Khaman Maluach, who scored a season-high of 19 points, further assisting Duke’s dominance.
For the Fighting Irish, Markus Burton was a standout, scoring 23 points. The team displayed a solid performance from long range, making 14 out of 23 three-point attempts, keeping the contest competitive until the end.
Analyzing the game, Notre Dame faced a challenging start, finding themselves in a 14-0 deficit and trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half. However, they fought back to narrow the score to a two-possession game in the closing moments.
Duke has seen great success in the early part of the league season, boasting a shooting percentage of 51.6% and winning four of their first five ACC games by 20 points or more. This game marked a tougher challenge, as Notre Dame managed to become only the fourth opponent this year to shoot above 40%, finishing at 48.2%.
A significant moment arose when Notre Dame cut the lead to 80-76 with a runner from Burton late in the game, but Flagg countered with two successful free throws. Burton then missed a chance to narrow the gap further, allowing Maluach to secure the win by adding two more free throws with just 15.8 seconds left.
In recent games, Flagg’s long-range shooting has improved significantly; he has converted 12 of his last 22 three-point attempts over the past six games, after struggling with just 8 out of 36 in his first ten college games.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame will be competing against Boston College at home on Monday, while Duke will wrap up their three-game homestand on Tuesday with a matchup against Miami.
