No. 4 Duke beat Notre Dame 86-78, extending its win streak to 10. The Blue Zone breaks down the contest with a player of the game and more:
One player: Cooper Flagg
Despite Duke leading by as much as 18 points throughout the game, Notre Dame was able to close it to a two-possession game in the last minute. It was freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, who shot 11-for-14 from the field, who rescued the Blue Devils from the jaws of the Fighting Irish. As has been the case in other tight contests, Flagg found himself with the ball as the clock was winding down. However, unlike in previous games, including in the 77-72 loss against Kentucky early in the season, Flagg remained calm under the pressure. He nailed all four of his free throws and turned the ball over zero times in the final minute, extending Duke’s lead to eight. After the second of the four free throws at the end of the game, fans erupted in cheers and chants of his name as Flagg tallied his 40th point.
The Newport, Maine, native scored 42 points in total, setting Duke’s single-game scoring record and an ACC freshman record.
After @DukeMBB‘s 86-78 win against Notre Dame, it’s time to vote for your Player of the Game:
(we think we know where this is going…)
— Duke Basketball (@dukebasketball) January 11, 2025
One word: Fouls
Eight minutes into the second half, Notre Dame sophomore and 2023-24 ACC Rookie of the Year Markus Burton was in foul trouble after picking up three fouls in quick succession. The Blue Devils were in the double bonus for most of the second half after the Fighting Irish picked up their 10th team foul with 10 minutes on the clock. With five minutes left in the game, Notre Dame had four players with three or more fouls. In total, the Fighting Irish had 27 fouls.
Duke was not without foul troubles of its own. Though the team committed 10 fewer fouls, head coach Jon Scheyer was forced to keep a few players on the bench down the stretch. Duke guards Kon Kneuppel, Tyrese Proctor and Sion James all picked up their third foul early in the second half. Khaman Maluach, who scored a season-best 19 points, also picked up his third personal foul halfway into the second half. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, the Fighting Irish struggled to convert, shooting 62.5% from the foul line.
One stat: 30-for-35 free throws
Duke has been quite hit-or-miss with its free throw shooting, averaging 74.9% over the course of the season. Today, the Blue Devils shot 85.7% from the charity stripe. Flagg converted 16-for-17, including a very crucial four in the last minute of the game. Fellow freshmen Maluach and Kneuppel were similarly consistent, shooting 7-for-8 and 5-for-6, respectively. If Duke can continue to improve its free throw shooting, it will pose a serious threat to more physical teams come March.
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Karen Xu | Photography Editor
Karen Xu is a Trinity senior and a photography editor of The Chronicle’s 120th volume.
