For the first time this season, Duke basketball star [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] failed to score 20 points against a ranked opponent.
The Blue Devils faced the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, and legendary coach Bill Self seemed determined to not let the 17-year-old take control of the game. After Flagg put together 26 points against the Kentucky Wildcats and 24 points against Arizona, the Jayhawks routinely double-teamed the Maine native and forced Duke to find other ways to score.
Flagg finally got going over the final 20 minutes, however, and he took advantage of the extra attention to set up a few of his teammates. However, just like during the loss to Kentucky, a few loose turnovers left too many points on the board to overcome.
Here’s a recap of the top-ranked freshman’s performance.
Cooper Flagg points scored vs. Kansas:
Flagg finished with 13 points, 11 of which came after halftime. The star freshman accentuated the performance with a one-handed dunk over Flory Bidunga in the second half, and he added five rebounds, three assists and a steal, but he turned the ball over four times.
Did Duke win?
The Blue Devils lost for the second time this season, a 75-72 defeat after Kon Knueppel’s last-ditch 3-point effort ripped off the rim. Duke clawed back from an early 16-3 hole and led by two with 5:40 left on the clock. It scored one point in the final two minutes.
Cooper Flagg’s next game:
The Duke Blue Devils will return to the court on Friday for a home game against the Seattle Redhawks.