DURHAM, N.C. – Double-doubles from the freshman duo of Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluachhelped propel the Duke men’s basketball team to a 100-58 victory over Army West Point on Friday, Nov. 8. Flagg finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Maluach tallied 11 points and 14 boards. A total of six Duke players finished in double-figures, with Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, Sion Jamesand Caleb Fosterchipping in 15, 14, 12 and 11, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Duke jumped out to an early 7-3 lead after 90 seconds of play, capped by a three-pointer from Caleb Foster. Army drew to within one, 9-8, at the first media timeout. Back-to-back three-pointers from Kon Knueppel and Mason Gillisincreased the Blue Devils’ lead to seven, 15-8, with 13:03 left in the first half.
The first double-digit lead came with 7:48 on the clock, courtesy of two free throws by Khaman Maluach, and was quickly extended to 15, 28-13, forcing an Army timeout. Sion Jamesconnected on two from the charity stripe to give the Blue Devils 15 consecutive points, spanning just under three minutes of playing time.
The stout Blue Devils defense held Army without a point for over six minutes, before the Black Knights snapped the scoreless streak with two free throws at the 2:48 mark. James scored five points in the closing minutes of the first half and helped Duke take a 43-20 lead into the break.
The two teams traded three-pointers to start the second half, with Knueppel and Tyrese Proctorconnecting from distance for the hosts. Proctor drilled three consecutive from beyond the arc, giving the junior 12 points and Duke a 63-31 advantage. A 12-2 run by the Black Knights narrowed Duke’s lead to 22, 65-43, triggering a Duke timeout with 10:09 on the clock.
Another extended scoring run, this time 13 consecutive points for Duke, made it an 80-43 lead for the Blue Devils. Duke got its sixth player into double figures following a layup by Foster with just under three minutes to play and Spencer Hubbardknocked down a three-pointer en route to the eventual 100-58 victory.
NOTES
Duke continued to demonstrate a balanced offensive attack with six Blue Devils scoring in double figures in both games to open the season.
After opening the night shooting 1-for-11 from 3-point land, the Blue Devils made 16 of their final 27 shots behind the arc (59.3%).
Duke distributed 19 assists on 35 made baskets and collected eight steals, while forcing 13 Army turnovers.
The Blue Devils outrebounded the Black Knights, 50-32, including a 35-16 advantage on the glass in the opening stanza.
Midway through the first half, Duke used an 18-0 run to turn a five-point game into a 36-13 cushion.
The Blue Devils limited Army to 20 first-half points for a 23-point halftime advantage.
Kon Knueppel shot 5-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, for 15 points to top Duke’s six double-digit scorers.
Tyrese Proctor caught fire in the second half from distance, draining four triples en route to 14 points – all after intermission.
Cooper Flagg tallied his first collegiate double-double, reaching the benchmark in the first half with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Flagg stuffed the stat sheet with totals of 13 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals, while shooting 50% from the field (5-of-10).
Khaman Maluach also secured 10 rebounds in the first half and finished with 14 rebounds and 11 points for his first collegiate double-double.
Flagg and Maluach are the first Duke duo to record double-doubles in the same game since Feb. 12, 2024, when Kyle Filipowski tallied 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Jared McCain posted 17 points and 10 rebounds against Wake Forest.
Sion James and Caleb Foster rounded out Duke’s double-figure scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Duke has won all nine meetings with Army since the series returned on Dec. 22, 1996. The Blue Devils now lead the overall series, 13-3.
Duke is now 33-3 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in the past three seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer.
QUOTES
“To play Army on Veteran’s Day Weekend really means a lot to us. What they stand for, what those kids do, the commitment that they’ve made to our country means a ton. They’re a tough, disciplined, hard-nosed group. I was happy with what we did, overall. A lot to clean up, a lot to build on. Particularly the first half defense, to hold them to 20 points was great. Cooper [Flagg] and Khaman [Maluach], to have double-digit rebounds in the first half. Just need to keep building.” – Duke head coach Jon Scheyer
“It’s almost a situation where you have to play well because you know there’s somebody behind you waiting to play as well. But it’s an unbelievable thing – it’s great for culture and great for chemistry when you know the guys behind you are still cheering for you and still want you to go. I’m coming off the bench, but I love when Tyrese [Proctor] gets hot. I love when Caleb [Foster] gets hot. These are the guys who are taking my minutes, in theory, but that’s a culture thing. I love when those guys get going and that’s what makes us better as a team.” – Graduate guard Sion James when asked about playing on a team where there’s so much talent
“I’m getting there one step at a time with the college game. It’s a different game, but I feel like I’m catching up every game. I knew it was going to be different and I wasn’t scared of the change, so I knew a lot of stuff was going to be different and I had to just adapt to it. Being a college athlete is great and I’m just enjoying and embracing every moment while I’m here.” – Freshman center Khaman Maluach
UP NEXT
Duke travels to Atlanta, Ga., for the 2024 Champions Classic. The Blue Devils take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday, Nov. 12, with tipoff scheduled for 9 p.m., broadcast live on ESPN.
For more information on Duke Basketball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching “DukeMBB”.
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.