Flagg, No. 2 Duke push past Wake Forest 63-56 to stay unbeaten in ACC
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists as second-ranked Duke pushed past Wake Forest 63-56 on Saturday.
Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel had 15 points for the Blue Devils (17-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who missed their first 13 shots after halftime and went 1 for 19 through the first 12 minutes of the second half.
That helped Wake Forest rally from 15 down before halftime to push ahead 45-39 on Juke Harris' basket at the 9:55 mark. Duke responded with seven straight scoring possessions, going up 53-47 on Flagg's two free throws with 3:53 left.
Harris scored 14 points to lead the Demon Deacons (15-5, 7-2), who had the backing of a loud and festive home crowd eager to storm the court against Duke for the second straight year. This time, they couldn't close it when Duke wobbled.
Duke: The Blue Devils had yet to play an ACC game closer than 11 points, but responded in a big test.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons had won six straight, but missed on adding an impressive win to their NCAA Tournament resume.
Flagg stepped up in the key sequence, starting with a faceup jumper. Knueppel followed with a paint score, followed by a pick-and-pop 3 from Mason Gillis.
Flagg handled most of the rest, scoring on a spin move, then beating Tre'Von Spillers off the dribble to throw down a two-handed slam as Duke made its move.
Duke's Tyrese Proctor was 1 of 11 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range before burying a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down, pushing Duke to a 56-49 lead with 2:18 left.
The Demon Deacons visit No. 25 Louisville on Tuesday. The Blue Devils host N.C. State on Monday.
---
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Khaman Maluach vs. Efton Reid III (Demon Deacons gains possession) | |||
19:43 | Ty-Laur Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
19:41 | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | |||
19:29 | Kon Knueppel turnover (lost ball) (Cameron Hildreth steals) | |||
19:25 | Hunter Sallis turnover (traveling) | |||
19:09 | Tyrese Proctor misses three point jump shot | |||
19:07 | Cooper Flagg offensive rebound | |||
19:00 | Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot | |||
18:58 | Kon Knueppel offensive rebound | |||
18:55 | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | |||
18:53 | Khaman Maluach offensive rebound | |||
18:53 | Tre'Von Spillers personal foul | |||
18:51 | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point jump shot (Sion James assists) | 2-0 | |
18:36 | Tyrese Proctor personal foul | |||
18:34 | +2 | Efton Reid III makes two point dunk (Cameron Hildreth assists) | 2-2 | |
18:10 | Cooper Flagg turnover (lost ball) (Cameron Hildreth steals) | |||
18:01 | Khaman Maluach blocks Hunter Sallis's two point layup | |||
17:59 | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | |||
17:56 | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | |||
17:54 | Cooper Flagg offensive rebound | |||
17:52 | Cooper Flagg turnover (traveling) | |||
17:35 | Khaman Maluach blocks Cameron Hildreth's two point jump shot | |||
17:33 | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | |||
17:24 | Kon Knueppel turnover (lost ball) (Cameron Hildreth steals) | |||
17:16 | Efton Reid III misses three point jump shot | |||
17:14 | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | |||
16:58 | Tre'Von Spillers personal foul | |||
16:53 | +3 | Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Tyrese Proctor assists) | 5-2 | |
16:22 | Cameron Hildreth misses two point layup | |||
16:20 | Sion James defensive rebound | |||
16:07 | Cooper Flagg turnover (lost ball) | |||
15:58 | Juke Harris misses three point jump shot | |||
15:56 | Sion James defensive rebound | |||
15:47 | Sion James misses two point jump shot | |||
15:45 | Juke Harris personal foul | |||
15:45 | TV timeout | |||
15:30 | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | |||
15:28 | Ty-Laur Johnson defensive rebound | |||
15:01 | Hunter Sallis turnover (bad pass) (Tyrese Proctor steals) | |||
14:52 | Tyrese Proctor misses two point layup | |||
14:50 | Tyrese Proctor offensive rebound | |||
14:36 | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | |||
14:34 | Efton Reid III defensive rebound | |||
14:14 | Efton Reid III turnover (traveling) | |||
14:03 | Khaman Maluach offensive foul | |||
14:03 | Khaman Maluach turnover (offensive foul) | |||
13:36 | Cameron Hildreth misses three point jump shot | |||
13:34 | Mason Gillis defensive rebound | |||
13:11 | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point layup | 7-2 | |
13:04 | +2 | Cameron Hildreth makes two point layup (Ty-Laur Johnson assists) | 7-4 | |
12:37 | Cameron Hildreth personal foul | |||
12:34 | Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot | |||
12:32 | Hunter Sallis defensive rebound | |||
12:03 | Cooper Flagg blocks Juke Harris's two point layup | |||
12:01 | Demon Deacons offensive rebound | |||
12:01 | Juke Harris misses two point jump shot | |||
11:59 | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | |||
11:41 | +2 | Tyrese Proctor makes two point jump shot | 9-4 | |
11:19 | +2 | Juke Harris makes two point jump shot | 9-6 | |
10:58 | +3 | Mason Gillis makes three point jump shot (Caleb Foster assists) | 12-6 | |
10:36 | Juke Harris turnover (bad pass) | |||
10:36 | TV timeout | |||
10:24 | Cameron Hildreth shooting foul (Patrick Ngongba II draws the foul) | |||
10:24 | +1 | Patrick Ngongba II makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 13-6 | |
10:24 | +1 | Patrick Ngongba II makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 14-6 | |
10:03 | Hunter Sallis misses two point jump shot | |||
10:01 | Caleb Foster defensive rebound | |||
9:51 | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point jump shot (Sion James assists) | 16-6 | |
9:27 | Cameron Hildreth misses three point jump shot | |||
9:25 | Patrick Ngongba II personal foul | |||
9:20 | Kon Knueppel blocks Cameron Hildreth's two point layup | |||
9:18 | Demon Deacons offensive rebound | |||
9:06 | Tre'Von Spillers misses three point jump shot | |||
9:04 | Mason Gillis defensive rebound | |||
8:50 | Mason Gillis misses three point jump shot | |||
8:48 | Kon Knueppel personal foul | |||
8:25 | Efton Reid III misses two point hook shot | |||
8:23 | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | |||
8:12 | Efton Reid III personal foul | |||
8:07 | Tyrese Proctor misses two point layup | |||
8:05 | Isaiah Evans offensive rebound | |||
8:01 | Cameron Hildreth personal foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul) | |||
8:01 | +1 | Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 17-6 | |
8:01 | Kon Knueppel misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
8:01 | Mason Gillis offensive rebound | |||
7:57 | Mason Gillis turnover (bad pass) (Ty-Laur Johnson steals) | |||
7:49 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point dunk (Ty-Laur Johnson assists) | 17-8 | |
7:33 | TV timeout | |||
7:29 | Kon Knueppel misses two point layup | |||
7:27 | Ty-Laur Johnson defensive rebound | |||
7:09 | +2 | Ty-Laur Johnson makes two point jump shot | 17-10 | |
7:09 | Tyrese Proctor shooting foul (Ty-Laur Johnson draws the foul) | |||
7:09 | Ty-Laur Johnson misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
7:09 | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | |||
6:50 | Cooper Flagg turnover (lost ball) (Ty-Laur Johnson steals) | |||
6:28 | Parker Friedrichsen misses three point jump shot | |||
6:26 | Isaiah Evans defensive rebound | |||
6:20 | Cooper Flagg offensive foul | |||
6:20 | Cooper Flagg turnover (offensive foul) | |||
6:05 | Ty-Laur Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
6:03 | Efton Reid III offensive rebound | |||
6:02 | +2 | Efton Reid III makes two point layup | 17-12 | |
6:02 | Khaman Maluach shooting foul (Efton Reid III draws the foul) | |||
6:02 | +1 | Efton Reid III makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 17-13 | |
5:46 | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point layup | 19-13 | |
5:46 | Juke Harris shooting foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | |||
5:46 | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 20-13 | |
5:29 | Efton Reid III turnover (bad pass) (Patrick Ngongba II steals) | |||
5:16 | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | |||
5:14 | Hunter Sallis defensive rebound | |||
5:01 | Sion James shooting foul (Juke Harris draws the foul) | |||
5:01 | +1 | Juke Harris makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 20-14 | |
5:01 | Juke Harris misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
5:01 | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | |||
4:43 | +3 | Sion James makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 23-14 | |
4:25 | Ty-Laur Johnson turnover (bad pass) (Patrick Ngongba II steals) | |||
4:21 | Tyrese Proctor misses two point layup | |||
4:19 | Blue Devils offensive rebound | |||
4:10 | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | |||
4:08 | Parker Friedrichsen defensive rebound | |||
4:00 | Sion James shooting foul (Hunter Sallis draws the foul) | |||
4:00 | TV timeout | |||
4:00 | Hunter Sallis misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
4:00 | +1 | Hunter Sallis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 23-15 | |
3:38 | +3 | Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 26-15 | |
3:08 | Juke Harris misses two point jump shot | |||
3:06 | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | |||
3:01 | +2 | Mason Gillis makes two point layup (Kon Knueppel assists) | 28-15 | |
3:01 | Demon Deacons 30 second timeout | |||
2:42 | +2 | Juke Harris makes two point layup | 28-17 | |
2:24 | Kon Knueppel turnover (traveling) | |||
2:04 | Cooper Flagg personal foul (Efton Reid III draws the foul) | |||
2:04 | +1 | Efton Reid III makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 28-18 | |
2:04 | Efton Reid III misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
2:04 | Mason Gillis defensive rebound | |||
1:39 | +2 | Patrick Ngongba II makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists) | 30-18 | |
1:24 | Patrick Ngongba II blocks Juke Harris's two point layup | |||
1:22 | Juke Harris offensive rebound | |||
1:22 | Patrick Ngongba II personal foul (Juke Harris draws the foul) | |||
1:22 | Juke Harris misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
1:22 | Juke Harris misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
1:22 | Patrick Ngongba II defensive rebound | |||
1:12 | Mason Gillis misses three point jump shot | |||
1:10 | Juke Harris defensive rebound | |||
1:05 | Caleb Foster shooting foul (Juke Harris draws the foul) | |||
1:05 | +1 | Juke Harris makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 30-19 | |
1:05 | +1 | Juke Harris makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 30-20 | |
0:54 | +3 | Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 33-20 | |
0:38 | Hunter Sallis misses three point jump shot | |||
0:36 | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | |||
0:11 | +2 | Kon Knueppel makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists) | 35-20 | |
0:10 | Blue Devils 30 second timeout | |||
0:04 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point dunk (Efton Reid III assists) | 35-22 | |
0:00 | End of period |