In Raleigh, North Carolina, Duke University’s basketball team, led by Tyrese Proctor with 19 points, triumphed over Mount St. Mary’s with a score of 93-49 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Cooper Flagg returned from an ankle injury, contributing 14 points and seven rebounds, assisting the Blue Devils in their pursuit for a sixth national championship. Their journey began just half an hour’s drive from their Durham campus, and they took a commanding 13-2 lead early on during a first half characterized by precise execution.
Though Duke’s intensity decreased after halftime, they still finished with an impressive 50% shooting rate and made 14 3-pointers, securing their advancement to the second round to face Baylor. Proctor’s performance was notable as he made six out of eight shots from beyond the arc. Coach Jon Scheyer praised his team’s performance, expressing pride in their mature approach to the tournament given their overall lack of NCAA Tournament experience, besides Proctor and Mason Gillis.
Flagg, an 18-year-old top NBA prospect and unanimous first-team All-American, had previously missed the last two games of Duke’s ACC Tournament victory due to an ankle injury. However, he played comfortably in this match, executing impressive plays, including an and-1 drive and a backdoor cut leading to a slam dunk from Patrick Ngongba’s pass. Flagg assured he felt completely ready and confident entering the game.
By halftime, Duke led 54-28, having shot 60.6%. Arlandus Keyes led the Mountaineers, a 16th seed and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions, with 15 points. Mount St. Mary’s struggled, shooting only 30.2% overall, with a dismal 5 for 27 from three-point range. Coach Donny Lind praised his team’s effort and determination, emphasizing their fight to the end.
Mount St. Mary’s journey marked their seventh NCAA tournament appearance, though their first as part of the Northeast Conference was 17 years ago. This included a historic first-round game against North Carolina in the same building. Their latest trip since the COVID-affected 2021 tournament was another learning experience against top-seeded teams.
Duke, having secured both the ACC regular-season and tournament titles for the first time since 2006, now looks forward to the NCAA Tournament with high expectations despite earlier season injuries to Flagg and Maliq Brown. The Blue Devils recorded an impressive 21 assists to just two turnovers in this game, setting a program record for assist-to-turnover ratio.
Next, Duke will face Baylor this Sunday, which will also see former Duke player Jeremy Roach, who transferred to Baylor after the previous season, compete against his former team.