The Enigmatic Legacy of Duke University: A Journey Through Time

DURHAM, N.C. – A 24-point performance from freshman Cooper Flagg and a double-double from Sion James propelled Duke (11-2, 3-0 ACC) to a victory against Virginia Tech (5-8, 0-2 ACC), 88-65, at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Flagg contributed six assists and four steals, while James’ 10-point, 11-rebound performance marked the Sugar Hill, Georgia, native’s second career double-double. In total, six Blue Devils recorded at least 10 points, with Tyrese Proctor (13), Kon Knueppel (13), Isaiah Evans (12), and Mason Gillis (10) joining Flagg and James. 

With his 24 points, Flagg achieved his sixth 20-point game, surpassing 200 career points. Alongside his 107 rebounds, Flagg becomes just the sixth player in Duke’s history to accumulate at least 200 points and 100 rebounds during the Blue Devils’ first 13 games of the season. 

Duke finished 15-of-15 (1.000) from the charity stripe, marking the first time the team was perfect from free throws since shooting 4-of-4 at Syracuse on Feb. 18, 2023, and only the fifth instance in Duke history on ten or more attempts. 

HOW IT UNFOLDED

• Cooper Flagg rapidly placed Duke on the scoreboard, scoring the game’s opening basket within the initial 20 seconds. The Blue Devils limited the Hokies from making a field goal for over four minutes until a dunk with 15:44 on the clock gave Virginia Tech a 4-2 lead. A three-point play by Flagg restored Duke’s advantage, 5-4, out of the first media timeout.
• Mason Gillis and Sion James added their names to the scoring list as Duke leveled the score with the Hokies at 12-12 after a dunk by James. A four-point play from Flagg elevated the freshman’s points to 12 within less than 12 minutes, granting the Blue Devils an 18-16 lead.
• Duke executed an eight-point surge in under a minute, extending their lead to 22-16 as the game approached seven minutes remaining in the first half. Consecutive three-pointers by Kon Knueppel and Isaiah Evans increased the gap to double figures, 28-18, leading to a Virginia Tech timeout at the 5:13 mark.
• An extended scoring blitz of 17-2 by Duke, culminating in a three-pointer from Gillis, enlarged the lead to 13, 31-18. Knueppel hit a fadeaway jumper just before the halftime buzzer, sending the Blue Devils into the intermission with a 10-point advantage, 37-27.
• James netted Duke’s first two points of the second half, followed by Flagg scoring two quick points to establish a 41-27 lead for Duke with 17:13 on the clock. Back-to-back dunks from James and Proctor inflated the advantage to 15, 45-30, during the under-16 timeout. The Hokies connected on four consecutive shots to cut the deficit to nine, 49-40, with 13 minutes remaining.
• Proctor responded with his first three-pointer of the game, marking his ninth point of the afternoon, and Evans hit a long-range shot on Duke’s subsequent possession, restoring Duke’s 15-point lead, 55-40. Duke’s next offensive sequence culminated in Flagg’s 20th point of the contest, prompting a Virginia Tech timeout with 11:09 left.
• The Blue Devils’ defense held Virginia Tech scoreless for over three minutes, as Duke surged ahead by 18, 63-45, with under eight minutes left. Four consecutive successful attempts by Duke’s offense stretched the margin to 26, 73-47, with five minutes to go.
• James achieved the second double-double of his career, and first as a Blue Devil, with a layup in transition to extend Duke’s lead to 75-50. In the closing moments, Evans sank two more three-pointers, totaling four for the game, as Duke capped off the 88-65 triumph.

NOTABLES

• Duke now holds a 60-12 record in ACC home openers, including a streak of 18 consecutive wins.
• The Blue Devils’ 23-point victory on Tuesday marks the largest margin in a conference home opener since a win over Boston College 88-49 on Dec. 31, 2019.
• With this victory, Duke secures a 54-13 lead in the series against Virginia Tech, including an impressive 24-1 (.960) record at home.
• The fourth-ranked Blue Devils are now 300-92 (.765) in conference contests when positioned as a top-five team nationally.
• Duke has a 17-8 record when playing on Dec. 21 and has won 14 of the last 15 games on that date, including four consecutive victories.
• The Blue Devils concluded December with a flawless record of 6-0 – the first undefeated December under head coach Jon Scheyer.
• Tuesday marked the third occasion this season where six Blue Devils scored in double figures.
• With eight dunks on Tuesday, Duke leads its opponents in dunks, 58-16.
• The Blue Devils dominated the boards, winning the rebounding contest, 35-22, having out-rebounded 10 of their initial 13 opponents this season.
• Duke began the game with a 15-2 lead in second-chance points over the first 20 minutes, finishing the game with a 17-3 advantage in that category.
• The Blue Devils limited Virginia Tech to only two fast-break points. Duke’s opponents have recorded single-digit fast-break points in nearly every game this season, with only two exceptions.
• Duke amassed 38 points in the paint compared to 22 for the Hokies. The Blue Devils have outscored their rivals in the paint in 11 of their 13 contests and achieved a double-digit margin in that category seven times this season.
• Duke achieved a perfect 15-of-15 (1.000) from the free throw line, marking the first flawless outing from the charity stripe since the Blue Devils went 4-of-4 at Syracuse on Feb. 18, 2023. The last time Duke shot 100% on 10 or more attempts from the foul line was on Dec. 6, 2019, against Virginia Tech (10-of-10).
• The Blue Devils have now converted on at least one 3-pointer in 1,238 consecutive games, holding the second-longest streak in the nation.
• Tuesday night marked the 531st consecutive sold-out game at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The most recent non-sellout for Duke at home occurred on Nov. 6, 1990, against Boston College.
• This streak is the longest current (by time) in men’s college basketball or the NBA.
• Cooper Flagg scored 14 points in the first half, leading to a game-high total of 24 points. The freshman also achieved game highs of six assists and four steals, along with three rebounds.
• With those 24 points, Flagg marked his sixth 20-point game of his career, surpassing 200 career points. Alongside his 106 rebounds, Flagg now stands as just the sixth player in Duke history to score at least 200 points and pull down at least 100 rebounds within Duke’s first 13 games of the season.
• Flagg joins Jabari Parker (278 points/104 rebounds in 2013-14), Marvin Bagley III (274/142 in 2017-18), Zion Williamson (263/123 in 2018-19), Jahill Okafor (253/113…in 2014-15) and Vernon Carey Jr. (233/117 in 2019-20).
• Sion James secured a personal best of 11 rebounds to spearhead the team’s endeavors on the boards. Tuesday was James’ initial game as a Blue Devil featuring double-digit rebounds and only the second in his career.
• James contributed 10 points, achieving the second double-double of his career. The alumnus’ previous double-double was a 28-point and 10-rebound display against North Texas during the 2024 AAC Tournament. 
• Tyrese Proctor recorded 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the court, including three dunks, while facilitating five assists.
• After missing his first three attempts from beyond the arc, Isaiah Evans heated up from long range, hitting all four of his ensuing three-pointers to conclude with 12 points and career-best figures of four rebounds and two assists off the bench.

CITATIONS

• “You’re always wary of rust and probably [Virginia Tech] is too. Both teams have been idle for 10 days. I believed we executed some really positive aspects. I felt it was a significant step forward. Knowing you’ll face Virginia Tech means they will really challenge your defense. You’ll encounter significant physicality on the defensive end, and I felt we performed admirably in our attempts to wear them down, despite their depth. I believed we had several productive sequences transitioning from defense to offense that benefitted us. We have ample room for growth, but it’s fantastic to have taken this initial stride forward after the break.” – Duke head coach Jon Scheyer
• “I feel like our performance today was satisfactory. We showed some solid moments. Defensively, we weren’t as precise as we aimed to be. We maintain very high expectations on that side of the court, but we demonstrated our ability to score in various manners, execute stops in numerous ways, and secure victories through diverse approaches.” – Duke graduate guard Sion James
• “(Selflessness) is an aspect we’ve emphasized and embedded as a vital part of our team – simply playing in the correct manner. When you possess a lot of talent like we do, it undermines your team and all its members if you don’t play correctly. I feel we’re currently in a solid position, but we’re just thrilled about the potential we believe we have to continue improving with each match, continually striving for more.” – Duke freshman guard/forward Cooper Flagg

FORTHCOMING MATCH-UP

• No. 4 Duke is set to return to competition for its next game, an ACC showdown at SMU on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. The Blue Devils and Mustangs will meet for only the fifth occasion and for the first time as conference adversaries, scheduled for a 2:15 p.m. ET tipoff, with the match streamed live on The CW.

To remain informed about Blue Devils men’s basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook by searching “DukeMBB”.

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