Cooper Flagg shines, but Duke basketball falters in final minutes of loss to Kentucky

ATLANTA — Duke basketball faltered down the stretch in a 77-72 loss to Kentucky at the Champions Classic in Atlanta.

The sixth-ranked Blue Devils (2-1) were on the wrong end of a second-half comeback as the 19th-ranked Wildcats (3-0) finished with a 14-point advantage in the final 20 minutes, scoring the final five points of the game at State Farm Arena.

Freshman star Cooper Flagg finished with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds, but had three turnovers in the final two minutes, including on back-to-back possessions in the final 12 seconds.

Two of college basketball’s blue bloods, Duke and Kentucky have combined for more than 4,700 wins, with 34 Final Four appearances and 13 NCAA championships.

Here are some observations from Duke’s latest matchup with Kentucky.

Cooper Flagg stats in Duke basketball game vs Kentucky

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg didn’t waste any time making his presence known against Kentucky, getting a one-on-one stop on the opening possession before finishing a lob from Caleb Foster for the first points of the game. Flagg had 12 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes, sitting for most of the final six minutes of the first half with two fouls. He had 14 points in the second half, carrying Duke to the finish line down the stretch. But, even after recording a double-double, there’s no doubt he’ll be thinking about those crucial turnovers in the final two minutes.

Andrew Carr sparks Kentucky comeback

Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr sparked the Wildcats’ comeback, finishing with 17 points. Carr had several big-time finishes in the lane to lead the charge as Kentucky outscored Duke by 11 points in the second half. Otega Oweh (15 points) and Amari Williams (10 points) also had double-digit points for UK, which trailed for nearly 28 minutes but led when it mattered most.

Khaman Maluach, Duke dominate the paint but struggle with 3-point shooting

Khaman Maluach was banged up, but showed his consistent influence on the Blue Devils when he was on the court. The…

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Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2024-11-13 04:45:00

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