Cooper Flagg Shines as Duke Dominates Wake Forest to Secure ACC Title Share
In what could be his final home game for Duke, freshman sensation Cooper Flagg delivered a standout performance, scoring 28 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. The Blue Devils secured a commanding 93-60 victory over Wake Forest on Monday night, clinching at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
Flagg, touted as a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, demonstrated why he’s a formidable talent at 6-foot-9. With just over three minutes remaining, he left the court to cheers from the Cameron Crazies, who chanted "One more year!" as he shared a celebratory moment with coach Jon Scheyer.
Teammate Kon Knueppel also made significant contributions with 17 points. Duke held a 13-point advantage at halftime before unleashing a dominant run in the second half, effectively putting the game out of reach for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons, led by Efton Reid III and Ty-Laur Johnson with 14 points each, faced a tough night. Their recent struggles against unranked teams had already put their NCAA tournament hopes in jeopardy, and the defeat prompted chants of "NIT! NIT!" from Duke’s faithful.
Duke entered the contest leading no. 11 Clemson and no. 14 Louisville by a game in the ACC. This victory sets the stage for them to claim the title outright with one more win.
After taking a 47-38 lead, Duke ignited an 18-3 run, highlighted by three-pointers from Sion James and two consecutive shots from Mason Gillis, extending their lead to 65-41. The Blue Devils’ second-half shooting was particularly effective, hitting 53.8% from the field and knocking down 8 of 19 threes, for a game total of 14 3-pointers.
The regular season comes to a close on Saturday with Wake Forest hosting Georgia Tech and Duke traveling to face their rivals, North Carolina.
