As several inches of snow blanketed Duke’s campus for the first time in nearly three years, Cooper Flagg stormed through Notre Dame in a career-best performance as the Blue Devils defeated the Fighting Irish 86-78. Flagg broke Duke’s freshman record with 42 points on 11-of-14 shooting while also finishing with seven assists and six rebounds.
The Blue Devils had led all game and by as much as 18 points, but with less than a minute remaining, a Notre Dame three suddenly cut down Duke’s lead to five. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Fighting Irish had embarked on a 13-0 run. After Sion James missed 1-of-2 free throws, Markus Burton converted a quick layup to make the score 80-76.
Just as he did all afternoon, Flagg was the one who made the difference for the Blue Devils, finding an opening in Notre Dame’s press defense and forcing the Irish to foul. Flagg effortlessly converted both pressure free throws to reach the 40-point mark in one of the most impressive individual performances on the floor of Cameron Indoor Stadium. With the second free throw, No. 2 broke the ACC freshman single-game scoring record as well. A Notre Dame miss and a pair of Khaman Maluach free throws later, and Duke survived with an eight-point victory.
"I think to play in a tight game was really good," head coach Jon Scheyer said after the game. "Because you have to make plays and you feel the value of every possession. Obviously Cooper had an all-time special performance. The stats speak for themselves. Anytime we needed a basket he came through and he just willed us."
At the midway point of the second half, Flagg reached the 30-point mark by furiously backing down an Irish defender and converting at the rim. At times, Duke’s second half-offense looked like a one-man show, with Scheyer letting Flagg methodically dissect Notre Dame’s defense. While Maluach also played a major role as a constant lob-threat and dominant presence, it was Flagg who extended the Blue Devils’ lead to 17 by forcing his way into the paint and converting through contact for an and-one.
Despite the Irish’s best attempts to make the game a close one, the Flagg-Maluach duo broke Notre Dame’s chances of an upset, extending the Blue Devils’ advantage to 79-61 with five minutes left. Maluach also had a phenomenal night with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, showing his continued development into one of the better rim protectors in the country.
"I think he's underappreciated," Scheyer said of Maluach. "There's not many 7-foot-2 guys in the world that can move like he can, switch one through five and make free throws. And his skill set is [still] developing."
After Notre Dame willed its way back from an early deficit, Duke came out of the locker room determined to seize back the game’s momentum, starting with Flagg’s fourth assist to Maluach. Irish sophomore Braeden Shrewsberry responded with an impressive corner three, and after a Tae Davis layup found its way home, the Blue Devils’ once 16-point advantage was now just seven.
Notre Dame’s stars, Davis and the 2024 ACC Rookie of the Year Burton, made their presence felt in the early part of the second half. However, in the midst of the Irish’s comeback, foul trouble plagued Duke’s ACC opponents. Notre Dame amassed six second-half fouls in the period’s opening five minutes, forcing the Irish into more cautious defense. Flagg promptly took advantage with his fourth made 3-pointer of the game, and the Blue Devils led 57-46 with 15 minutes left. A thunderous Flagg dunk reenergized Cameron Indoor Stadium at the 14-minute mark, and the Newport, Maine, native continued his dominance by converting a floater in response to a deadly Burton three.
The Blue Devils’ emphasis on improving their early-game performances are starting to bear fruit, as Duke came out of the gates firing with ruthless efficiency. After a beautifully-designed Flagg lob to Maluach got the scoring underway, Flagg dished out another assist for a Tyrese Proctor three. The Fighting Irish did not score on any of their first six possessions, and after back-to-back threes from Flagg and Sion James, Notre Dame coach Micah Schrewsberry furiously called a timeout with his team down 11-0 with less than four minutes played.
"At the start of the season, we had slow starts in a couple of games," Maluach said. "Starting with energy is something we've worked on, and now we have to keep working on starting with energy, keeping that energy so that we don't let the [other] team off the hook."
The Fighting Irish finally got on the board with a pair of free throws by Burton, but the Blue Devils already led 14-2. Notre Dame gradually worked its way back after a pair of impressive deep-range makes from Burton and Schrewsberry, but Duke responded with Flagg’s third made 3-pointer of the game. The freshman phenom scored nine points and dished out three assists in just the opening eight minutes.
Despite Duke’s fast start, the Fighting Irish managed to stay in contention thanks to their deadly proficiency from beyond the arc. Notre Dame converted eight of its 12 first-half 3-pointers, and after Schrewsberry nailed a desperate buzzer-beater, the Blue Devils headed to the locker room leading just 44-36.
After a game of back-and-forth basketball, the Blue Devils continue their three-game home-stretch Tuesday by welcoming Miami back in Cameron Indoor Stadium, looking to extend their win-streak to 11 games.
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Rodrigo Amare is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.