Duke player Cooper Flagg had an impressive game, highlighted by a 3-pointer just before halftime, a no-look pass for an alley-oop, another no-look pass for a 3-pointer, and a huge block that sent the ball into a row of Arizona cheerleaders.
Flagg’s performance helped Duke secure a 100-93 win over Arizona in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, sending the Blue Devils to the next round, just one win away from the Final Four.
Flagg ended the game with 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three blocks, making this his biggest win in college so far.
Coach Jon Scheyer, who has seen many great games, said, “That’s one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of.”
Caleb Love, who has been a challenge for Duke over the past five years, led Arizona with 35 points, one point shy of his career high. Love had 15 straight points during a strong second-half run, helping Arizona cut Duke’s 19-point lead down to just five with 1:56 left in the game.
But in the end, it was Duke, the top seed, who came out on top. Next, they will face Alabama in a 1-vs.-2 matchup on Saturday in the East Region. Alabama set a March Madness record for most 3-pointers in a game, beating BYU 113-88 earlier that evening.
A win would send Duke to the Final Four for the 18th time. The last time Duke reached the Final Four, in 2022, Love was on North Carolina’s team and scored 28 points to end Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career.
This time, Flagg, who is 18 years old, helped end Love’s college career and showed why he could be the top pick in the NBA draft if he decides to leave.
Coach Scheyer said, “What I’ve wanted from him was not to defer. Just wanted him to fully be him. I thought he was in his element tonight. He was loose, talking, competitive, the whole thing.”
Arizona worked hard to close the gap and got within five when Carter Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1:56 left. Flagg then made three out of four free throws, and Duke made 9 out of 10 to seal the win.
Cooper Flagg reacts in the 1st halfArizona coach Tommy Lloyd said, “They were a machine on offense.”
Duke shot 60% from the floor and 57.9% from 3-point range, finishing a game that saw both teams score over 100 points.
The fourth-seeded Wildcats focused on the 6-foot-9 freshman Flagg, trying to make him work for everything, but he was just too good for them.
Here are a few standout moments from Flagg’s performance
- At the end of the first half, Duke grabbed Love’s missed 3-pointer, passed it to Flagg, and he hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. He then turned and screamed “Let’s go, man!” as he ran to the locker room, giving Duke a 48-42 lead.
- A spinning, no-look pass to Sion James, who made an open 3-pointer early in the second half, as part of a run that stretched Duke’s lead to 19.
- Two alley-oops, one a no-look pass to Khaman Maluach and another to Kon Knueppel.
- A huge block against Arizona’s KJ Lewis, sending the ball into a row of Arizona cheerleaders with about five minutes left in the game. This was a key moment because a basket there could have cut Duke’s lead to seven.
Love had a strong game, finishing with 35 points. He missed his first three shots but made 11 of 21 attempts and hit five 3-pointers, keeping his team in the game.
Lloyd praised Love, saying, “He’s had an amazing career and I’m so excited for his future. He was tremendous today. He’s going to wake up tomorrow and he’s going to smile. He has a lot to look forward to and so I’m really, really proud of him.”
Love’s 35 points were seven more than he scored when he helped end Coach K’s career two years ago. This time, he had strong support from Jaden Bradley, who finished with 15 points. But Arizona couldn’t repeat their success from 2011, when they beat Duke in the tournament, knocking out the top-seeded Blue Devils.
Duke’s Maliq Brown returned to action after missing two weeks due to a shoulder injury. He wore a sleeve on his left shoulder and came into the game with 7:51 left in the first half. He played four minutes, finishing with one rebound and one assist.
Arizona had a big win earlier on Thursday when Koa Peat, one of the nation’s top high school recruits, announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he would commit to play for the Wildcats. Peat is expected to join LeBron James’ son, Bryce, in coach Tommy Lloyd’s program next season.
