Newark, NJ
With relentless offensive efficiency, No. 1 Duke is back where it was a year ago, and far more equipped to do more damage this time.
The Blue Devils shot 60%, with Cooper Flagg scoring 30 points, and built a 19-point second-half lead before holding on to beat Arizona, 100-93, in an NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal on Thursday night.
By winning its 14th consecutive game, Duke (34-3) reached the Elite 8 for the second year in a row, having lost 76-64 to N.C. State to finish one win short of the Final Four last season.
The Blue Devils, seeded No. 1, advance to Saturday’s East Regional final to face No. 2 seed Alabama at 8:49 p.m. for the right to advance to San Antonio for the Final Four. The Crimson Tide hammered No. 6 seed BYU, 113-88, in Thursday’s first semifinal.
“We’re going to enjoy this one,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Never take for granted going to an Elite 8. That’s a special thing.”
Duke forward Cooper Flagg (2) puts up a shot against Arizona’s Tobe Awaka (30) in the first half on Thursday, March 27, 2025 during the NCAA Sweet 16 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Flagg scored 30 point in the Blue Devils’ 100-93 victo Robert Willett [email protected]
Duke won despite Arizona guard Caleb Love pouring in 35 points, doing all he could to help his team in his 10th career game against the Blue Devils. Love, the former North Carolina guard, hit 5 of 11 3-pointers. He helped Arizona become the first team to score 80 or more points against Duke this season.
But the Blue Devils had too much scoring depth behind Flagg. Kon Knueppel scored 20 points and Sion James 17 for Duke, while Khaman Maluach added 13.
Flagg amassed his points while making 9 of 19 shots from the field and hitting 9 of 10 free throws. He also led Duke with seven assists and matched Maluach’s six rebounds to lead Duke.
“I think just playing with really good energy, trusting our game plan, trusting my teammates,” Flagg said of his performance. “They put me in some really good spots tonight. Coach, as well, put me in some really good spots. I think just making the right play and just letting the game happen.”
After leading 48-42 at halftime, Duke made its first nine shots after halftime and scored on 10 of its first 11 possessions. Pat Ngongba’s basket in the lane with 13:12 to play gave Duke a 70-51 lead.
Love brought Arizona back, though. With 3-pointers, free throws and driving shots, Love scored 15 consecutive Arizona points. His layup, with 8:15, cut Duke’s lead to 78-68.
Arizona’s Caleb Love (1) drives by Duke’s Tyrese Proctor (5) during the first half of Duke’s game against Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
When Henry Veesaar scored and added a free throw with 7:47 to play, Duke’s lead had shrunk to 78-71.
But as Veesaar was scoring and drawing a foul, Arizona’s Jaden Bradley committed a flagrant one foul on Knueppel by pulling him to the ground on a hook-and-hold call under the basket.
So, after Veesaar hit his free throw, Knueppel sank two at the other end of the court. On Duke’s ensuing possession, Knueppel zipped a pass to Ngongba for a dunk that extended Duke’s lead to 82-71.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after making a basket as time expires in the first half of Duke’s game against Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]
Love drew Arizona back within seven points again with a dunk at the 4:45 mark. But James answered with a Duke 3-pointer to give the Blue Devils an 89-79 lead at the 4:16 mark.
Love and the Wildcats weren’t done pushing Duke, though.
When Carter Bryant drilled a 3-pointer with 1:52 to play, Duke’s lead fell to 91-86. Flagg hit two free throws with 1:33 to play and, after Maluach blocked Veesaar’s shot at the rim, Flagg hit one of two free throws with 44.5 to play giving Duke a 94-86 lead.
Flagg’s 18 first-half points, including a deep 3-pointer as the half expired, allowed Duke to take a 48-42 halftime lead over Arizona. That’s despite Duke’s big men being in deep foul trouble.
Maluach picked up two fouls in the game’s first nine minutes. Ngongba entered in his place, but committed three first-half fouls.
That led Scheyer to put Maliq Brown, the 6-9 junior forward still recovering from a dislocated shoulder suffered two weeks earlier, into the game.
Despite all that, Flagg’s scoring, plus Knueppel’s 10 first-half points, allowed Duke lead by as many as seven points before taking a six-point lead to intermission.
Love kept Arizona close with 14 points, including three first-half 3-pointers while playing all 20 minutes.
But after Knueppel hit a 3-pointer to break a 42-all tie with 28 seconds left, Love missed a long 3-pointer with seven seconds left. The Blue Devils corralled the rebound and Flagg hustled the ball upcourt before sinking a 25-foot shot.
“We talk about inflection points,” Knueppel said, “and the end of the half is a really big inflection point. So it was tie ballgame, and hit two threes gives us a bunch of momentum coming into the second half.”
Duke shot 61% in the first half, including hitting 7 of 13 3-pointers. It was the third consecutive half in NCAA play Duke had shot 60% or better.
But the Blue Devils were solid everywhere offensively, finding driving lanes to score 22 points in the paint.
Arizona shot 42.9% but benefited by hitting 7 of 14 3-pointers (50%). Because of Duke’s fouling, the Wildcats also made 11 of 13 free throws.
Duke center Khaman Maluach defends Arizona guard Caleb Love (1) in the second half on Thursday, March 27, 2025 during the NCAA Sweet 16 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Love scored 35 points in the Wildcat’s 100-93 loss to Duke. Robert Willett [email protected]
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 12:33 AM.
