The clock read 25.7 seconds, but time stood still.
Encouraged by the roar of Cameron Indoor Stadium around him, Cooper Flagg approached the free-throw line with a chance to rewrite history in just his 16th game as a Blue Devil. Joining the list of former freshman phenoms in the program — Jared McCain, Zion Williamson, Marvin Bagley III and JJ Redick, to name a few — Flagg had already surpassed the single-game record for most points by a Duke freshman.
“It’s an incredible list of freshmen that have come through Duke,” Flagg said after the game. “Even being mentioned among them is a dream come true.”
Despite such a tight game, the Cameron Crazies watched in anticipation as all eyes shifted towards the player at the stripe.
Sinking two free throws, the Newport, Maine, native reached 40 points, the first time a Blue Devil achieved this feat since Redick against Virginia in 2006. Notre Dame would keep fighting to extend the game but relinquished 86-78 after sets of free throws from Khaman Maluach and Flagg once again.
With five seconds remaining, Flagg shattered the ACC freshman record with 42 points. Writing all kinds of history, he accompanied multiple Duke legends with this special performance. Tate Armstrong and Dick Groat recorded 42-plus points in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Danny Ferry had 58 points, six rebounds and seven assists. And now Flagg, the Maine event.
How did he reach 42 exactly? Duke caught fire in the first five minutes, scoring 14 unanswered, six of which were two Flagg 3-pointers. Critics of Flagg point out his initial subpar 3-point shooting this season, but the Montverde Academy product showed complete confidence in his shot against the Fighting Irish and would end the game 4-for-6 from behind the arc.
“When you're so talented and can create a shot almost any time, you're not used to being mentally ready or mentally prepared to shoot,” Scheyer remarked about Flagg’s 3-point shot. “It's never been about making him a good shooter. He's been a good shooter.”
“I don’t think it was anything different for me,” Flagg said. “I’m always confident in myself and I know how well I can shoot the ball. I’m always going to stay ready and take my opportunities.”
While Flagg shot 11-for-14 from the field, his most efficient game as a Blue Devil, he visited the free-throw line very frequently. As a result of his talent, Flagg has been an easy target for teams to send to the line; he drew 13 of the 27 Notre Dame fouls himself. Late in the first half, Flagg drove the basket and received an offensive foul for charging. After this decision, Scheyer received his second career technical foul as head coach.
“People are going to do things to try to make it easier to guard him, and it wasn't just one play isolated for me,” Scheyer said. “I have a ton of respect for those three officials, the officiating in our league, but I'm also going to advocate for our guys when I feel like something isn't being called the right way.”
While Flagg’s performance was unexpected, not many could have expected the Fighting Irish to contend tightly with the fourth-ranked Blue Devils. Notre Dame was on a three-game losing streak before entering Cameron Indoor Stadium, including one-point losses against Research Triangle foes North Carolina and N.C. State. Duke was favored by almost 20 points at the start of the game, but incredible 3-point shooting kept Notre Dame close. In the first half, eight of Notre Dame’s 12 field goals were from range, and the Fighting Irish made their first non-3-point basket with 4:52 left to play.
Notre Dame shot the three ball better than Duke in both halves, despite the Blue Devils seeing some good looks. The Fighting Irish were led by Markus Burton, the 2024 ACC Rookie of the Year, with 23 points and 4-for-6 3-point-shooting. Burton, recently back from injury, had been sidelined since Nov. 26, and his return certainly kept the Fighting Irish competitive.
“I think their record is incredibly misleading,” Scheyer said. “When you play half the games without [Markus] Burton, you're going to be a different team.”
Coupled with the absence of Maliq Brown for more than 75% of the contest, Notre Dame became a test for Duke. Brown, a huge asset to the Blue Devils in terms of his defensive presence, exited with a right-knee injury and did not return. Scheyer confirmed Monday morning that Brown sprained his knee and would miss an extended period of time.
“Maliq just provides such a different versatility with his defense,” Scheyer said. “This is a game, really with the switching, that’s calling Maliq’s name.”
However, in Brown’s absence, freshman Patrick Ngongba II and graduate transfer Mason Gillis stepped up with valuable minutes.
“Maliq’s an integral part of our team,” Sion James said. “But in a moment’s notice, Mason [Gillis] and Pat [Ngongba] were able to step up. That’s what I appreciate about the versatility of this team. I feel like we were able to find a way.”
Notre Dame played well, but since the games against Kentucky and Kansas, Duke and Flagg have become more comfortable in late-game scenarios. Like a queen on a chess board, Flagg attacked the Fighting Irish from multiple angles, and showed his relentlessness even when the team went cold. Notre Dame guarded Flagg with just about everyone, but after breaking records and making history in Cameron, it was a checkmate against the Fighting Irish.
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