DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Cooper Flagg had 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in possibly his final home game, helping No. 2 Duke beat Wake Forest 93-60 on Monday night to clinch at least a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel added 17 points for the Blue Devils (27-3, 18-1), who led by 13 at halftime and then blew the game open midway through the second half.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg, a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, checked out with 3:34 left. He greeted coach Jon Scheyer with a high-five and a hug as Duke’s “Cameron Crazies” chanted “One more year! One more year!”
Efton Reid III and Ty-Laur Johnson each scored 14 points to lead the Demon Deacons (20-10, 12-7).
Takeaways
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons had weakened their case for an NCAA bid by losing three of five to unranked teams, twice at home. They needed this Quadrant 1 win to help their postseason resume, but instead heard with chants of “NIT! NIT!” from the Crazies.
Duke: The Blue Devils entered the night with a one-game lead on No. 11 Clemson and No. 14 Louisville in the ACC. They’re now a win from taking the regular-season race outright.
Key moment
Duke led 47-38 before going on an 18-3 tear. That included a burst of three 3-pointers, the first from Sion James followed by a pair on consecutive possessions by Mason Gillis that pushed Duke ahead 65-41.
Key stat
Duke shot 53.8 percent after halftime and made 8 of 19 3-pointers, pushing the Blue Devils to a total of 14 3s for the game.
Up next
Both teams close the regular season Saturday. The Demon Deacons host Georgia Tech while the Blue Devils visit rival North Carolina.
Story by Aaron Beard, AP Basketball Writer
