Cooper Flagg and Duke Dominate Wake Forest, Seal ACC Regular-Season Crown
DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg spearheaded a commanding performance as No. 2 Duke stormed past Wake Forest 93-60 on Monday night, clinching at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
In what might be his swan song at home, Flagg lit up the court with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, showcasing every bit of the talent that has him projected as a top NBA draft pick. As the clock wound down, Flagg exited to a hero's cheer, exchanging high-fives and hugs with Coach Jon Scheyer, while the raucous “Cameron Crazies” implored, “One more year! One more year!”
Kon Knueppel, another standout rookie, chipped in 17 points for the ascendant Blue Devils (27-3, 18-1), who detonated offensively in the second half after leading by a manageable margin at halftime.
For Wake Forest, Efton Reid III and Ty-Laur Johnson each netted 14 points, but their efforts were drowned out by Duke's relentless surge and loud chants of “NIT! NIT!” from the home crowd, as the Demon Deacons (20-10, 12-7) saw their NCAA hopes dimmed further.
The Blue Devils, holding a narrow lead over No. 11 Clemson and No. 14 Louisville entering the night, left no doubt as they went on an 18-3 blitz, fueled by dynamic 3-point shooting. Sion James initiated the barrage from deep, with Mason Gillis following suit on back-to-back possessions to extend the lead to 65-41.
Duke’s marksmanship was unparalleled, shooting a sharp 53.8% in the latter half and sinking 8 of their total 19 three-point attempts post-break, to round off an impressive total of 14 threes on the night.
Both teams will finish off their regular seasons this Saturday, as the Demon Deacons take on Georgia Tech at home, while Duke is set to face arch-rival North Carolina on the road.
