Summary:
- Cooper Flagg led No. 3 Duke with 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Duke Blue Devils dominated the Virginia Cavaliers 80-62.
- Duke controlled the game with strong shooting and rebounding, while Virginia’s defense struggled.
- Flagg’s key defensive stop and Tyrese Proctor’s three-pointer sparked a decisive 16-2 Duke run in the first half.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg dominated early, recording 17 points and 14 rebounds before halftime, marking his seventh double-double of the college basketball season as No. 3 Duke Blue Devils rolled past the Virginia Cavaliers 80-62 on Monday night.
The Blue Devils (23-3, 15-1 ACC) extended their winning streak to three games since suffering their only conference loss to No. 18 Clemson on February 8.
Kon Knueppel matched Flagg’s scoring output with 17 points, while Andrew Rohde led Virginia (13-13, 6-9) with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Duke forward Maliq Brown suffered an apparent left shoulder injury late in the first half. The Virginia native, a junior transfer from Syracuse, exited to the locker room and did not return, finishing with two points, two assists, and a rebound in 10 minutes of action.
The Blue Devils maintained control throughout, using efficient shooting and rebounding dominance to stifle Virginia.
Duke hit 9 of 23 from beyond the arc and crushed the Cavaliers on the boards, 41-21. A commanding 8-0 run to open the second half effectively put the game out of reach.
The Cavaliers had been on a late-season surge, winning three of their last four, but struggled to contain Duke’s offensive firepower.
Shooting 53% from the field, the Blue Devils exposed Virginia’s defensive limitations. Dai Dai Ames contributed 15 points, his fifth straight game scoring in double figures.
Rohde delivered a pinpoint pass to Taine Murray for what looked like an easy backdoor layup. Instead, Cooper Flagg stepped in and rejected the shot.
Seconds later, Tyrese Proctor drilled a three-pointer at the other end, igniting a 16-2 Duke run that extended their lead to 27-14 with 8:19 remaining in the first half.
Duke and Virginia have developed a fierce rivalry over the past decade, with matchups typically coming down to the wire.
However, Monday’s blowout marked the end of an era. From 2012 to 2023, no Virginia-Duke game had a margin greater than 10 points—until last season, when Duke won 73-48.
Up next, Duke will head to Madison Square Garden for a nonconference showdown against Illinois on Saturday night, while Virginia will travel to face North Carolina. Get the best odds ahead of the game with a selection of US sportsbooks.
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