As expected, the number two ranked Duke Blue Devils once again took victory vs the BC Eagles. Although BC put up a great fight in the first half, Duke’s star power eventually wore them down.
Right from the jump, they played like they had something to prove, leading by as much as 7 points early in the game. Their defensive toughness really stood out, holding Duke to only 27 percent from three-point range in the first half. They also shot efficiently from deep, shooting at 50 percent, albeit only attempting 4 shots. They also shot 58 percent of shots within the arc. Despite their efficiency from three and the field, they could not convert many of their free throws, only shooting at 58 percent. At the end of the first half, Duke only led by 6 points. BC did an excellent job of defending Duke star Kon Knueppel throughout the game, holding him to 0 points and only 5 attempted shots. “BC’s defense on Duke in the first half was suffocating and that kept it competitive,” says HHS student Will Vanderwiel.
At the start of the second half, it became clear that Duke was no longer holding back. The star duo of Cooper Flagg and Tyrese proctor combined for 48 points on a combined 16/24 shooting split. Flagg also knocked down nine out of his eleven attempted free throws. Although he made the biggest impact scoring, he also influenced the course of the game by playmaking, notching 4 assists. With a great effort from first-year student Isaiah Evans off the bench, (16 pts, 4-9 three pt) Duke’s offense was unstoppable in the second half. “He’s a great asset as a shooter off the bench” says HHS freshman Ben Ferguson.
Duke is the tallest team in the country, and they used their size to their advantage, scoring 38 points in the paint. They also stepped up their defensive intensity, holding BC to just 38 percent shooting. Cooper Flagg showed his defensive versatility, swatting away two shots and racking up two steals. With this win, Duke cemented themselves as the number two team in the country, and they seem unstoppable as of late.
