MENS BASKETBALL
Duke 69, Arizona 55
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUCSON, Ariz. - Cooper Flagg scored 24 points, Kon Knueppel added 13 and the pair of freshmen led No. 12 Duke past No. 17 Arizona 69-55 on Friday night.
Flagg drove the lane and threw down a one-handed jam in traffic to give the Blue Devils a 46-33 lead with 12:27 left. The preseason All-America pick shot 10 of 22 from the field and added six rebounds and three assists.
Duke (4-1) never trailed in the second half.
Arizona (2-2), which has lost two straight, cut the margin to 54-48 on Jaden Bradley’s layup with 5:40 left but couldn’t get closer. Bradley led the team with 18 points, while KJ Lewis added 12.
Duke led 34-27 and had a 22-14 rebounding advantage at halftime, closing on a 6-0 run.
THE TAKEAWAY
Duke: The Blue Devils handled their first true road game with poise despite having three freshmen in the starting lineup. The physical performance against a team with a pair of 7-footers bodes well for the future.
Arizona: The Wildcats were bothered by Duke’s size, strength and athleticism, losing lots of 50-50 battles for loose balls and offensive rebounds.
November 22, 2024