In what was the closest thing to a home game Cooper Flagg will experience in college, the standout freshman delivered a stellar performance as No. 3 Duke cruised to an 88-63 victory over Boston College in ACC basketball action at Conte Forum.

A Maine native, Flagg was energized by a large contingent of fans from his home state cheering him on in New England. He scored 28 points, marking his ninth 20-point game of the season, while leading Duke to its 12th consecutive win.

“This crowd was the best I’ve ever seen it for us,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer. “The support for Cooper from Maine made it special, and he backed it up with his play.”

Flagg’s determination was evident even after he took a forearm to the nose from Boston College’s Roger McFarlane, requiring gauze to stop the bleeding. Despite the contact technical foul on McFarlane, Flagg remained unfazed, shooting 9 of 14 from the field. “The support means a lot,” Flagg said. “Seeing familiar faces in the crowd gives me confidence, and I feel truly blessed.”

Tyrese Proctor added 20 points for the Blue Devils (16-2, 8-0 ACC), while Isaiah Evans chipped in with 16, including four 3-pointers. Boston College (9-9, 1-6 ACC) shot 58.3% in the first half but struggled after halftime, managing only 32% shooting in the second half to finish at 44.9% overall.

Proctor Regains His Groove
After scoring just three points over Duke’s last two games, including a scoreless performance against Miami, Proctor found his rhythm. The 6-5 junior guard scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. He quickly set the tone with 10 first-half points, helping Duke take a six-point lead into halftime.

Duke’s Offense on Fire
The Blue Devils shot 52.6% from the field, marking the seventh straight game with a shooting percentage of 50% or higher. Their offensive efficiency, already ranked fourth nationally, improved further with Duke scoring 1.35 points per possession against Boston College. This game also marked the first time two Duke players, Flagg and Proctor, each scored 20 points in a single game this season.

Defensive Adjustments Pay Off
Boston College had early success against Duke, shooting 58.3% in the first half and leading by as many as seven points. The Eagles scored 20 points in the paint and exposed gaps in Duke’s defense, especially with the absence of 6-9 forward Maliq Brown, a key defensive presence. Duke coach Jon Scheyer admitted, “Our post defense has to improve. We weren’t moving as a unit defensively.”

Foul trouble forced Duke to rely on alternative defensive setups, including zone coverage, in the second half. The adjustments worked, as Boston College’s interior scoring and shooting efficiency dropped significantly. “Our connectivity and focus on protecting the paint improved, and that’s when we pulled away,” Scheyer said.

Duke men’s basketball, led by Electric Cooper Flagg, outperforms BC

Flagg leads the Blue Devils with 28 points in his closest game to his home state in front of a sold-out crowd

CHESTNUT HILL, MA — The Duke men’s basketball team had a slow start, but Cooper Flagg and Tyrese Proctor maintained the Blue Devils in the lead.

They continued their play in the second half. This time they had company.

Flagg scored 28 points, Proctor added 20, and No. 3 Duke defeated Boston College, 88-63, in Flagg’s first — and most likely last — visit to New England with the Blue Devils.

The game at BC’s Conte Forum was sold out, with many of them rooting for the Blue Devils, and the freshman phenom and anticipated No. 1 choice in the NBA draft

“I believe I expected it. “I heard from a lot of people leading up to it,” Flagg explained. “I would not say I felt any kind of pressure. For me, it was more of a godsend.

Both coaches recognized the boisterous audience and whipped themselves into a frenzy to support—or, for Eagles fans, pull against—the boy from Maine.

“That atmosphere was unbelievable,” BC coach Earl Grant stated. “If you weren’t ready to play, you need to choose a different sport.”

Duke’s coach, Jon Scheyer, concurred.

“What a remarkable turnout,” he added. “We’ve come here a lot. Duke supporters have always been well represented, and I believe this was the greatest I’ve ever seen. And I believe that a significant portion of it must

“I believe I expected it. “I heard from a lot of people leading up to it,” Flagg explained. “I would not say I felt any kind of pressure. For me, it was more of a godsend.

Both coaches recognized the boisterous audience and whipped themselves into a frenzy to support—or, for Eagles fans, pull against—the boy from Maine.

“That atmosphere was unbelievable,” BC coach Earl Grant stated. “If you weren’t ready to play, you need to choose a different sport.”

Duke’s coach, Jon Scheyer, concurred.

“What a remarkable turnout,” he added. “We’ve come here a lot. Duke supporters have always been well represented, and I believe this was the greatest I’ve ever seen. And I believe that a significant portion of it must

The victory required considerable effort, which thrilled Scheyer.

“I’m proud of our team tonight,” he stated. “I think our second half was quite good. Give Boston College a lot of credit; they came out really physical and prepared to play. And they set us behind a little bit. I think it was wonderful for us to be in that setting and have that experience.”

Chad Venning led the Eagles (9-9, 1-6 ACC) with 19 points, while Donald Hand Jr. added 12.

There will undoubtedly be minor issues, like as breakdowns and defensive mistakes. Fatigue,” Venning explained. “They’re a great team.

Boston College began its upset effort on a high note, taking an 18-11 lead while Eagles supporters at the sold-out Conte Forum chanted “Over-rated” at Flagg. Flagg started slowly, hitting only one of his first five field goal attempts as Duke battled to get going.

Despite the missed shots, Flagg compensated by attacking the basket and making all seven first-half free throws on his way to 15 points. Proctor added 10 points, giving Duke a 40-34 edge at the intermission.

“We were struggling there in the first half,” Scheyer said. “They were scoring pretty easy, we weren’t.”

In the second half, the Blue Devils rediscovered their groove. After a Venning and-1 cut the deficit to 49-41 with 16:35 remaining, Duke embarked on a 16-2 run, with points from five different players. During the run, Flagg dunks and Proctor shoots, and Isaiah Evans (16 points, 11 in the second half) hits a 3-pointer to make it 58-43 with 12:42 remaining.

“It was a really physical game. Flagg remarked, “We went into halftime thinking about that.” “(We talked about) just coming out and being strong with the ball and just playing more physically.”

Heyer noted the squad improved its inside defense after the break.

“They ended up with 28 points in the paint, I bet they had almost all of them in the beginning of the second half, those first few minutes, and then the first half,” remarked the coach. “I think it’s a mixture of several things. Our post-game defense has to be improved. We just must improve our ball defense. But, more crucially, we weren’t moving five players in a string like we had been.”

BC coach Grant stated that the Eagles lost their way in the second half.

“We took command of the game, but I believe Isaiah Evans came in and really opened it up.” “He changed the game,” he explained. “We had a terrific game plan, and we were executing it well, but we got a little off track. … We did a decent job on Flagg early, but he’s difficult to control.”