In Charlotte, N.C., (AP) — Kon Knueppen scored 28 points as top-ranked Duke managed to overcome injuries to top player Cooper Kupp and Maliq Brown helped secure a victory over Georgia Tech with a score of 78-70 on Thursday, advancing to the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Isaiah Evans contributed 14 points with his four 3-point shots, while Khaman Maluach also notched 14 points along with grabbing nine rebounds for the Blue Devils (29-3), having secured nine consecutive victories.
As Flagg landed clumsily on Baye Ndongo’s foot while grabbing a rebound near the end of the first half, it seemed like trouble was brewing. The Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year trudged back to the Duke bench and slammed a chair out of disappointment. Following assistance into the locker room, Flagg rejoined the Duke sideline during the second half barefoot but didn’t get back onto the court.
Brown went down with a shoulder injury in the first half.
Duncan Powell topped the scoring for Georgia Tech (17-16) with 24 points.
Duke struggled with their long-range shooting, missing their initial 13 attempts from beyond the arc, and found themselves trailing 26-12, which was also their biggest gap for the season so far. The score stood at 26-17 when Flagg departed the match, yet they managed to narrow the margin down to just five points as the opening period ended. In the latter part of the second half, Duke extended their advantage to seven after Tyrese Proctor intercepted a pass and executed an impressive one-handed slam during fast break play.
Takeaways
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets bench was outscored 21-6.
Duke: Despite being without Flagg and Brown on the floor, the Blue Devils demonstrated their scoring ability. They struggled initially by missing their first 13 three-point attempts but managed to hit 7 out of 17 thereafter.
Key moment
Knueppel was behind the wheel, adding a score and drawing a foul for a three-point play with approximately five minutes remaining in the game, which gave Duke an 11-point lead.
Key stat
Georgia Tech fell behind with a score of 28-12 at the beginning of the second half.
Up next
Georgia Tech might be looking at an invitation to the NIT. Meanwhile, Duke is set to play against North Carolina on Friday, following their victory over Wake Forest with a score of 68-59.
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