Flagg scores 16 in MSG debut and No. 3 Duke romps to 110-67 blowout of Illinois
Columnist Mike Decourcy weighs in on Duke's win over Illinois: 'An opportunity missed'
Columnist Mike Decourcy weighs in on Duke's win over Illinois Saturday night.
NEW YORK (AP) - Cooper Flagg scored 16 points in his Madison Square Garden debut, and seven Duke players reached double figures as the third-ranked Blue Devils cruised to a 110-67 rout of Illinois on Saturday night.
Isaiah Evans led Duke (24-3) with 17 points off the bench, while Kon Knueppel added 15. The Blue Devils built a 23-point lead in the first half and never looked back, setting a season high for points.
Flagg, the freshman projected as the top pick in this year’s NBA draft, contributed seven rebounds and five assists in 23 1/2 minutes. But Duke didn’t even need his best effort to dominate.
Tre White had 16 points for Illinois (17-11) in the nonconference matchup between programs that reached last year’s Elite Eight. Kasparas Jakucionis scored 14 for the Illini.
Game Takeaways:
Illinois: The Fighting Illini have struggled after a 12-3 start, hampered by recent illnesses and an injury to forward Morez Johnson Jr. They have dropped three straight, all by at least 14 points against teams ranked in the top 11 at the time.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 22: Isaiah Evans #3 of the Duke Blue Devils puts up a shot against Tomislav Ivisic #13 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half of the SentinelOne Classic at Madison Square Garden on February 22, 2025 in Ne
Duke: With hopes of securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils continue to showcase one of the nation’s top defenses. They delivered a stifling effort in their first game since defensive stopper Maliq Brown dislocated his left shoulder in Monday’s win at Virginia.
Key Moment:
After picking up two fouls in the first 11:18 of a quiet opening half, Flagg came out strong in the second. He started with a fast-break dunk, added another slam minutes later, and electrified the Duke-heavy crowd in the sold-out arena of 19,812.
Illinois missed its first 17 3-point attempts and finished 2 of 26 from beyond the arc.
What's next:
Illinois: Hosts Iowa in Big Ten play Tuesday night.
Duke: Visits Miami on Tuesday night.