Cooper Flagg scores 42 points in historic Duke performance

Cooper Flagg turned in the best game of his brief college career on Saturday. The Duke star scored a career-high 42 points during the No.4-ranked Blue Devils’ 86-78 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The scoring output broke a Duke freshman record, passing Zion Williamson and Jared McCain, who both previously scored 35 in a game, and also set the single-game ACC freshman mark. He’s the first Duke player to score 40-plus points since JJ Redick did it in January 2006. Flagg put up the massive number on just 14 shots, making 11 of those attempts while going 4-for-6 from 3-point land and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds, seven assists and a steal. In the second half, Flagg brought the fans in Durham, North Carolina, to their feet with a monster slam to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to 13. Flagg’s latest game adds to what has been a dominant season for the future NBA star. In 16 games, Flagg is averaging 19.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists.Duke has now won 10 straight games, pushing their record to 14-2, and is considered one of the top contenders to cut down the nets in April. The 6-foot-8, 195-pound power forward is widely regarded as one of the best prospects to come out of the college level in recent years and is expected to be the first player off the board in the 2025 NBA Draft.Flagg and the Blue Devils host the Miami Hurricanes on Tuesday as they look to extend their winning streak to 11. ...