DURHAM, N.C. — In an intense matchup on Monday night, star freshman Cooper Flagg showcased his talent by scoring 23 of his total 28 points after halftime, leading the second-ranked Duke Blue Devils to a 74-64 victory over the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
Duke’s other standout rookie, Kon Knueppel, added 19 points to the team’s effort, helping secure their 14th consecutive win. Despite their impressive record of 18-2 and a perfect 10-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, Duke faced a stiff challenge from N.C. State throughout the contest.
The Wolfpack, who now sit at 9-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference, played without fear and established a solid 13-point lead in the first half. N.C. State kept the game competitive, staying close to Duke even as the Blue Devils attempted to pull away in the final moments of the matchup.
Key contributions for N.C. State came from Dontrez Styles, who recorded 18 points. Although the Wolfpack struggled with their shooting in the second half, finishing at just 32%, they did tie their season high with 10 three-pointers.
This matchup marked a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, in which the Wolfpack triumphed during a surprising run to the Final Four. The game was momentarily halted twice in the last four and a half minutes due to health concerns; first, freshman center Khaman Maluach was unable to continue play after vomiting, then one of the enthusiastic “Cameron Crazies” fans required assistance after fainting.
Takeaways from the game indicate that N.C. State, which was on a four-game losing streak in the league, gave Duke difficulty throughout. Coach Kevin Keatts’ team fought hard, especially after narrowly losing previous games by a total of just 14 points.
Duke, having recently emerged from a narrow 63-56 victory over Wake Forest, faced another rigorous test against the Wolfpack. The Blue Devils displayed resilience, highlighted by a pivotal moment where they scored 19 consecutive points that spanned both halves, with Flagg accounting for eight of those points. This surge helped overcome their earlier deficit.
In a notable statistic from the game, Marcus Hill, who leads the Wolfpack with an average of 13.2 points per game, struggled significantly and finished with only four points on 1-for-10 shooting. His only basket came during a fouled layup with just over four minutes remaining.
Looking ahead, both teams have games scheduled for Saturday; N.C. State will host Clemson, while Duke will face their rival North Carolina at home.
