After earlier losses to Kentucky and Kansas, No. 9 Duke now has its massive nonconference win.
Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils defeated No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in Wednesday’s SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge showdown at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke improved to 6-2 with the victory, while the 7-1 Tigers suffered their first defeat of the campaign after earlier wins over Houston, Iowa State and North Carolina.
Flagg looked the part of potential No. 1 overall draft pick and stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Even though his outside shot wasn’t clicking, it was a performance that underscored just what type of impact he can have on a game against elite competition.
It wasn’t a one-man show, as Isaiah Evans went 6-of-8 from deep on his way to 18 points. His early contributions helped counter impressive games from Johni Broome (20 points and 12 rebounds) and Tahaad Pettiford (20 points) for the Tigers.
The SEC has dominated the Challenge this year, and it seemed like it would be more of the same Wednesday when Auburn jumped out to a 13-2 advantage in the first four minutes.
Evans had other ideas.
While Flagg is the headliner freshman on Duke’s roster, Evans was the first-year player who provided a much-needed spark for the home team in the first half. He drilled six three-pointers off the bench before intermission, which sent the Cameron Crazies into a frenzy and gave the Blue Devils a seven-point halftime lead.
Evans was a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, but he appeared in just four of the team’s first seven games and scored in double figures just once. Yet he introduced himself to the nation Wednesday and gave his team all the momentum heading into the second half.
