Cooper Flagg plays through eye injury in Duke’s blowout win

The freshman star from Nokomis scores 16 points while playing only 19 minutes after being hit in the face.

DURHAM, N.C. — Isaiah Evans scored 19 points and No. 2 Duke overcame freshman star Cooper Flagg’s injury scare to rout Florida State 100-65 on Saturday night.

Flagg sat out more than 11 minutes to end the first half, twice leaving the gym to be evaluated after he was struck in the face on a hard foul. Flagg was on the court for the first 12 minutes of the second half, when he racked up 12 of his 16 points.

Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach both had 14 points to help Duke (26-3, 17-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) maintain a one-game lead over Clemson in the league standings.

Jamir Watkins scored 21 points and Jerry Deng added 12 points for Florida State (16-13, 7-11). The Seminoles have lost three straight and four of five.

Duke led 14-11 when Flagg departed. The Blue Devils built a 47-30 halftime lead.

Takeaways

Florida State: The Seminoles have given up more than 90 points twice in a six-day span. They were drilled by North Carolina on Monday.

Duke: The Blue Devils were without starting guard Tyrese Proctor, who sustained a knee injury Tuesday night at Miami. With Flagg also out for much of the game, they still had enough firepower to remain unbeaten at home this season, aided by a season-high 21 offensive rebounds.

Key moment

Nearly four minutes into the second half, Flagg blocked a shot, resulting in a fast break and Knueppel’s three-point play for a 62-35 lead.

Key stat

Duke had 12 assists on 16 first-half baskets without committing a turnover despite unusual lineup combinations.

Up next

Duke plays its home finale Monday night against Wake Forest. Florida State is at Virginia on Tuesday night.