Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel made memorable debuts within the Tobacco Highway rivalry as No 2 Duke used a dominant first half to safe an 87-70 win over visiting North Carolina on Saturday evening in Durham, North Carolina.
Flagg racked up 21 factors, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Duke (19-2, 11-0 in Atlantic Coast Convention play), which prolonged the longest lively profitable streak within the nation to fifteen video games. In the meantime, Knueppel scored 13 of his game-high 22 factors within the second half and added 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Tyrese Proctor had 17 factors and Sion James 13 for the Blue Devils, who compelled 9 of North Carolina’s 14 whole turnovers within the first half and led by as many as 27 factors earlier than intermission.
RJ Davis and Drake Powell every scored 12 factors and Seth Trimble netted 10 for North Carolina (13-10, 6-5), which misplaced for the fourth time in 5 outings. Duke snapped a two-game dropping streak within the sequence.
Flagg scored or assisted on Duke’s first 18 factors of the sport. He sank two 3-pointers and transformed a three-point play whereas additionally helping on a pair of James dunks, plus a triple and a dunk by Proctor.
When Knueppel hit a 3 and one other jumper 31 seconds aside, it capped a 16-0 Duke run for a 23-6 lead lower than seven minutes into the competition.
Elliot Cadeau’s three-pointer pulled North Carolina inside 16 factors earlier than Duke’s protection went again to work. The Blue Devils made the Tar Heels miss their subsequent 9 makes an attempt from the ground, two of them swatted away by Flagg. Duke stitched collectively an 11-point run of largely free throws for an amazing 40-13 lead with 5:16 left within the half.
Flagg’s fadeaway jumper on the first-half buzzer made it 47-25 Blue Devils and gave the freshman 13 factors within the half to go along with 4 boards, 5 assists and two steals.
Duke made its first six pictures from the ground of the second half. Knueppel put up 11 fast factors because the Blue Devils stretched their result in 62-34 with 15:49 to play.
Ian Jackson transformed a four-point play to offer the Tar Heels a quick jolt. However when Flagg knocked down his third three-pointer of the sport, it handed Duke its first 30-point benefit of the evening at 74-44 with 9:53 nonetheless on the clock.
North Carolina minimize a 32-point deficit to 16 within the closing phases, as Powell gave the crew a late enhance with all 12 of his factors coming within the closing 12 minutes.
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