Cooper Flagg carries Duke past Arizona to Final Four brink

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NEWARK, N.J. — With seven seconds left in the first half, Duke forward Mason Gillis rebounded an Arizona miss and underhanded the ball to Cooper Flagg, who raced up court, stopped with his heels just ahead of the March Madness logo at halfcourt and drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer as time expired to put the Blue Devils ahead 48-42 at the halftime of their NCAA men’s tournament Sweet 16 matchup in the East Region.

“Let’s (expletive) go, man!” Flagg screamed as he led the Blue Devils into the locker room.

The lead swelled to 62-47 just over four minutes into the second half, with Flagg making a pair of free throws and handing out three assists on as many offensive possessions to send a Duke-friendly crowd at the Prudential Center into a frenzy.

“It was an inflection point for us,” said freshman guard Kon Knueppel. “That was huge for momentum. That’s why we went on that big run at the start of the second half.”

Flagg put on a show as top-seeded Duke held on for a 100-93 win against the No. 4 Wildcats to reach the Elite Eight, scoring 30 points, pulling down six rebounds and dishing out seven assists in the sort of well-rounded performance that has moribund NBA franchises salivating and Duke aimed at the program’s first national championship since 2015 and sixth overall.

He’s the first player since former Marquette guard Dwyane Wade in 2003 to score at least 25 points with at least five rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a tournament game.

“That was one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer.

“What I’ve wanted from him is not to defer. I’ve just wanted him to fully be him, and I thought he was that. He was in his element tonight. He was him. He had just a great personality. He was loose, talking, competitive, the whole thing. So yeah, he impresses me all the time. But we need more of that on Saturday.”

The Blue Devils next face No. 2 Alabama, which set an NCAA tournament record with 25…

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Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2025/03/28/cooper-flagg-duke-arizona-march-madness-sweet-16/82701507007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-28 10:11:00

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