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NEWARK, N.J. — For the first time in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Duke basketball faced a bit of game pressure on Thursday night.
Cooper Flagg and the top-seeded Blue Devils earned a 100-93 win against No. 4 seed Arizona in the Sweet 16 of March Madness. Duke (34-3), which won its first two tournament games by an average margin of 33.5 points, had to withstand a stellar performance from Caleb Love and late run from the Wildcats (24-13) at Prudential Center.
Duke’s elite response earned it a berth in the Elite Eight vs. No. 2 seed Alabama (28-8) on Saturday. The winner will head to the Final Four in San Antonio.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Duke basketball vs Arizona live score: Cooper Flagg beats first-half buzzer, Blue Devils lead
Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Only Zion Williamson and Jared McCain have scored more points (32) as Duke freshmen in an NCAA Tournament game.
Kon Knueppel (20 points), Sion James (16 points) and Khaman Maluach (13 points) joined Flagg in double figures.
Duke (34-3) is in the Elite Eight for the second straight season.
Here are observations from the Blue Devils' Sweet 16 victory against Arizona.
Flagg, who had 18 points against Baylor, dropped 18 points in the first half alone against Arizona. The 6-foot-9 freshman finished with a seven-point flurry in the final 1:56 of the first half, capping a 10-4 run with a deep 3-pointer to give Duke a six-point lead at halftime. Flagg carried that momentum into the second half, burying Arizona with timely buckets and assists.
Duke had six players finish with multiple fouls in a foul fest against the Wildcats. The teams combined for 45 fouls and 44 free throws, with two players fouling out. Patrick Ngongba fouled out for the Blue Devils, logging eight points before heading to the bench.
In his 10th and final game against Duke, former UNC guard Caleb Love scored 21 of his 35 points in the second half. Love, who played his final two seasons at Arizona, made five 3-pointers against the Blue Devils. He averaged 31.5 points in two March Madness games against Duke.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke vs Arizona in 2025 March Madness: Cooper Flagg carries Blue Devils into Elite 8
Continue reading...
Cooper Flagg and the top-seeded Blue Devils earned a 100-93 win against No. 4 seed Arizona in the Sweet 16 of March Madness. Duke (34-3), which won its first two tournament games by an average margin of 33.5 points, had to withstand a stellar performance from Caleb Love and late run from the Wildcats (24-13) at Prudential Center.
Duke’s elite response earned it a berth in the Elite Eight vs. No. 2 seed Alabama (28-8) on Saturday. The winner will head to the Final Four in San Antonio.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Duke basketball vs Arizona live score: Cooper Flagg beats first-half buzzer, Blue Devils lead
Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Only Zion Williamson and Jared McCain have scored more points (32) as Duke freshmen in an NCAA Tournament game.
Kon Knueppel (20 points), Sion James (16 points) and Khaman Maluach (13 points) joined Flagg in double figures.
Duke (34-3) is in the Elite Eight for the second straight season.
Here are observations from the Blue Devils' Sweet 16 victory against Arizona.
Cooper Flagg stats for Duke basketball vs Arizona in March Madness
Flagg, who had 18 points against Baylor, dropped 18 points in the first half alone against Arizona. The 6-foot-9 freshman finished with a seven-point flurry in the final 1:56 of the first half, capping a 10-4 run with a deep 3-pointer to give Duke a six-point lead at halftime. Flagg carried that momentum into the second half, burying Arizona with timely buckets and assists.
Blue Devils overcome foul trouble in foul-filled game vs Wildcats
Duke had six players finish with multiple fouls in a foul fest against the Wildcats. The teams combined for 45 fouls and 44 free throws, with two players fouling out. Patrick Ngongba fouled out for the Blue Devils, logging eight points before heading to the bench.
Caleb Love stats keep Arizona close to Blue Devils
In his 10th and final game against Duke, former UNC guard Caleb Love scored 21 of his 35 points in the second half. Love, who played his final two seasons at Arizona, made five 3-pointers against the Blue Devils. He averaged 31.5 points in two March Madness games against Duke.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke vs Arizona in 2025 March Madness: Cooper Flagg carries Blue Devils into Elite 8
Continue reading...
