Cooper Flagg leads the way as Duke defeats North Carolina in rivalry game

Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel made memorable debuts in the Tobacco Road rivalry, helping No. 2 Duke defeat visiting North Carolina 87-70 on Saturday night in Durham, North Carolina.

Flagg scored 21 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals for Duke (19-2, 11-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play), which extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 15 games. Meanwhile, Knueppel scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, while also grabbing five rebounds and making five assists.

Tyrese Proctor scored 17 points and Sion James added 13 for the Blue Devils, who forced nine of North Carolina’s 14 total turnovers in the first half and led by as many as 27 points before halftime.

RJ Davis and Drake Powell each scored 12 points, while Seth Trimble added 10 for North Carolina (13-10, 6-5), which lost for the fourth time in five games. Duke ended its two-game losing streak in the series.

Flagg contributed to Duke’s first 18 points. He hit two three-pointers and converted a three-point play while also assisting on two James dunks, a triple, and a Proctor dunk.

Knueppel’s three-pointer and another jumper 31 seconds apart capped a 16-0 Duke run, giving them a 23-6 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

Cooper Flagg of the Duke Blue Devils attempts to block a shot during the second half of Saturday’s game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Photograph: Jared C Tilton/Getty Images

Elliot Cadeau’s three-pointer brought North Carolina within 16 points before Duke’s defense regrouped. The Blue Devils forced the Tar Heels to miss their next nine shots from the floor, with two of them swatted away by Flagg. With 5:16 remaining in the half, Duke went on an 11-point run, mostly from free throws, to take a commanding 40-13 lead.

Flagg’s fadeaway jumper at the halftime buzzer made it 47-25 Blue Devils, and the freshman finished the half with 13 points, four boards, five assists, and two steals.

Duke made its first six shots from the floor in the second half. With 15:49 remaining, Knueppel scored 11 points in a row, increasing the Blue Devils’ lead to 62-34.

Ian Jackson converted a four-point play, giving the Tar Heels a brief boost. But Flagg’s third three-pointer of the game gave Duke their first 30-point lead of the night, 74-44, with 9:53 remaining.

North Carolina cut a 32-point deficit to 16 in the final stages, thanks to Powell’s late-game performance, which included 12 points in the final 12 minutes.