Cooper Flagg excels as No. 2 Duke routs Wake Forest

Cooper Flagg scored 28 points in the last home game of his freshman season as No. 2 Duke dominated the second half in a 93-60 victory against visiting Wake Forest on Monday night at Durham, N.C.

Kon Knueppel had 17 points and Tyrese Proctor, who was back after missing the last 1 1/2 games with a knee injury, racked up 12 points. Sion James and reserve Mason Gillis each added 11 points as the Blue Devils (27-3, 18-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) remained in first place in the league going into the regular-season finale Saturday night at North Carolina.

Flagg shot 10 of 16 from the field and collected eight rebounds, seven assists, three blocked shots and two steals. Classmate Khaman Maluach pulled in 14 rebounds -- with six on the offensive end -- as Duke completed an unbeaten home slate at 17-0.

Efton Reid III and Ty-Laur Johnson both posted 14 points for Wake Forest (20-10, 12-7). The Demon Deacons, who've lost four of their last six games, committed 15 turnovers.

Duke hit 14 shots from 3-point range compared to Wake Forest's six.

Duke held a 40-27 halftime advantage before taking off after the Demon Deacons pulled within 42-35.

Flagg scored 10 points in the first five-plus minutes of the second half, giving him 20 for the game as the Blue Devils held a 53-38 lead.

They were just getting warmed up. Duke eclipsed their first-half point total in just 15 minutes of the second half in building an 81-47 lead. The lead topped out at 40 points.

It might have been Wake Forest's final chance for a notable result as it has slipped from most NCAA Tournament projections. The Demon Deacons lost by 63-56 in a late-January meeting with Duke, even taking the lead in the second half of that encounter. They couldn't keep this one close.

Wake Forest team scoring leaders Hunter Sallis (nine points) and Cameron Hildreth (zero) shot a combined 3-for-17 from the field.

--Field Level Media