Newark, N.J. – In a performance that showcased his immense talent, Duke’s Cooper Flagg delivered a game for the ages, scoring 30 points and leading the Blue Devils to a 100-93 victory over Arizona in Thursday night’s NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal. With this win, Duke is one game away from returning to the Final Four.
Flagg’s all-around brilliance included a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from well beyond the arc at halftime, a dazzling no-look alley-oop assist, a precise pass for another 3-pointer, and a crucial blocked shot that sent the ball flying into the Arizona cheerleaders’ section. The 18-year-old freshman’s final stat line included seven assists, six rebounds, and three blocks – and perhaps the most important win of his young career.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer praised his star forward’s performance, calling it “one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of.”
On the opposing side, Arizona’s Caleb Love, who had been a thorn in Duke’s side for years, nearly willed his team to a comeback. Love scored 35 points – just one shy of his career high – and helped Arizona trim a 19-point deficit to just five with 1:56 remaining. Despite Love’s heroics, the Blue Devils held on, advancing to a showdown with Alabama for a spot in the Final Four.
Saturday’s game will be a highly anticipated 1-vs.-2 matchup, with Duke facing Alabama, which had set a March Madness record earlier in the night with 25 three-pointers in a dominant win over BYU.
Love’s performance marked a bittersweet end to his college career at Arizona (24-13), but it was Flagg and Duke (34-3) who would come out on top. Love had been a key figure in ending legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career with North Carolina’s victory over Duke in the 2022 Final Four. This time, it was Flagg’s moment to shine.
“What I’ve wanted from him was not to defer,” Scheyer said of Flagg. “I just wanted him to fully be himself, and tonight, he was exactly that. He was loose, competitive, and in his element.”
Flagg’s highlights were aplenty in the high-octane game, but perhaps the most memorable moments came at the end of the first half. After Love missed a 3-pointer, Duke quickly secured the rebound, passed the ball to Flagg, who then drilled a 3-pointer from deep to send Duke into the locker room with a 48-42 lead. As he ran off the court, Flagg pumped his fist, shouting, “Let’s go, man!”
In the second half, Flagg orchestrated a sequence of plays that widened Duke’s lead. A beautiful spinning no-look pass to Sion James resulted in an open 3-pointer, pushing Duke’s advantage to 19. Flagg also delivered two alley-oops, one a no-look to Khaman Maluach and another to Kon Knueppel.
And with five minutes left, Flagg made a huge defensive play, rejecting a shot from Arizona guard KJ Lewis and sending the ball into the row of Arizona cheerleaders, igniting the Duke crowd.
Despite Arizona’s valiant effort, led by Love’s 35 points and the 15-point contribution from Jaden Bradley, the Wildcats could not overcome Duke’s relentless offense. Arizona made a final push, pulling within five points when Carter Bryant nailed a 3-pointer with 1:56 remaining, but Flagg and his teammates calmly hit their free throws to seal the victory.
“They were a machine on offense,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said of Duke’s performance.
Duke shot a blistering 60% from the floor and 57.9% from beyond the arc in the game. Arizona tried to slow down Flagg, but the 6-foot-9 freshman proved too much, scoring with ease and distributing the ball effectively to his teammates.
As for Love, Lloyd had nothing but praise for the veteran guard’s career. “He’s had an amazing career, and I’m excited for his future,” Lloyd said. “He was tremendous tonight. He’s going to wake up tomorrow with a smile on his face knowing he’s done a lot in his career, and I’m really proud of him.”
In addition to Flagg’s stellar play, Duke received a boost from the return of Maliq Brown, who had missed two weeks with a shoulder injury. Brown came into the game late in the first half, contributing a rebound and an assist in his limited minutes.
Arizona Earns Recruiting Win:
While the Wildcats didn’t make it to the Elite Eight, they did score a major recruiting victory earlier on Thursday. Koa Peat, one of the nation’s top high school prospects, announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he would be committing to play for Arizona. Peat will join a highly anticipated recruiting class, which will also feature LeBron James’ son, Bryce James, next season under coach Tommy Lloyd.
Next Up for Duke:
With the win, Duke is now just one victory away from its 18th Final Four appearance. On Saturday, they will face Alabama in what promises to be an exciting matchup between two of the tournament’s most dominant teams.
