No. 3 Duke men’s basketball pulls apart in the second half, defeating Boston College 88-63 on the road

BOSTON—Cooper Flagg Shines as Duke Dominates Boston College

The rainy weather outside Conte Forum was no match for Cooper Flagg’s brilliance on the court. As he poured in shot after shot, No. 3 Duke men’s basketball secured a commanding 88-63 conference win over Boston College.

Flagg capped off the first half with a thunderous dunk that silenced “overrated” chants from the crowd, but he wasn’t done. Emerging from the locker room, he made a statement by backing down a defender for a layup, sinking two free throws after a flagrant foul, and helping push Duke to a 47-36 lead — its largest of the game at that point.

Soon after, Flagg forced a turnover while double-teaming Chad Venning and followed it up with a slick backward bounce pass to Kon Knueppel. Although the ensuing 3-point attempt missed, Sion James battled through traffic for a layup and completed a three-point play at the line. Moments later, Flagg delivered another emphatic dunk, igniting the Blue Devil fans. The freshman sensation from Newport, Maine, finished with 28 points — his second-highest total of the season.

“It’s easy to not believe in yourself or think you can’t do it,” Flagg said. “I just want to keep proving that it doesn’t matter where you’re from. As long as you stick to it and keep working, you can make anything happen.”

Second-Half Domination

Khaman Maluach faced challenges in the second half, picking up his fourth foul early. Patrick Ngongba II stepped in, but Venning capitalized on the opportunity with a free throw, bringing his total to 14 points. The senior forward led Boston College with 19 points, but his efforts weren’t enough to keep the Eagles in the game.

Duke (16-2, 8-0 ACC) found its defensive groove when Isaiah Evans hit his second 3-pointer of the night. The Blue Devils then went on a decisive 12-0 run, holding Boston College (9-9, 1-6 ACC) to just nine points for much of the second half. When Hand finally broke the scoring drought with a three-pointer, Duke had already built a commanding 65-46 lead.

“It’s easy to focus on the scoring, but for me, it’s the blocks, the rebounds, and the timing of key baskets,” said head coach Jon Scheyer. “Our connectivity was much better. We were intentional about protecting the paint, and that allowed us to pull away.”

With eight minutes remaining, Duke extended its lead even further. Evans drained two more triples, and Flagg added another three-pointer, pushing the Blue Devils to a 25-point margin. Any first-half struggles seemed like a distant memory as Duke closed out the game with authority.

A Slow Start Turned Around

Duke’s dominance didn’t come immediately. Boston College took advantage of early opportunities in the paint, jumping to a 13-9 lead while shooting 60% from the field. The Eagles avoided perimeter shots and focused on the post, while Duke struggled from beyond the arc.

“Credit to Boston College for scoring in the paint and making us work,” Scheyer said. “I’m proud of how our team stepped up, especially in the second half.”

Ngongba eventually ended Duke’s early drought with a layup, though the team still trailed by five. The Blue Devil faithful groaned when Ngongba missed consecutive free throws, but James provided a spark. He assisted Maluach on a dunk and added a layup, sparking a 7-0 Duke run. Following another dunk by Maluach and a deep three from Tyrese Proctor, Duke claimed a 22-20 lead.

Venning tied the score with a layup, but Flagg responded by sinking four straight free throws. Proctor followed with another three-pointer, giving the Blue Devils a 29-25 cushion — their most breathing room since tipoff.

Duke found first-half success at the foul line, shooting 81.8% compared to Boston College’s 44.4%. Flagg’s flawless 7-for-7 performance at the line helped offset the team’s early shooting struggles.

Evans’ deep three-pointer with 1:52 left in the half pushed Duke’s lead to 38-30, and the crowd erupted as Flagg capped off the half with another dunk. Although the Blue Devils led just 40-34 at halftime, a dominant second-half performance erased any doubts about the outcome.

Duke will enjoy a week off before facing a red-hot Wake Forest team Saturday at 4:30 p.m.