Duke Defeats Maine, 96-62, in Season Opener

DURHAM, N.C. – The No. 7 Duke males’s basketball workforce tipped off the 2024-25 season with a 96-62 defeat of Maine inside Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday, Nov. 4.

Six totally different Blue Devils completed with at the very least 10 factors, paced by Kon Knueppel’s 22, and Cooper Flagg grew to become the primary Duke participant to register at the very least 10 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and three steals in a freshman debut.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duke’s freshman duo of Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach mixed for Duke’s first two buckets, as every discovered their technique to the rim for layups within the first two minutes. The guests knotted the rating, 6-6, however Duke responded with back-to-back layups from Caleb Foster and Mason Gillis to regain the lead.
• Knueppel drilled the primary three-pointer of Duke’s season, giving the freshman 9 early factors. Two free throws by Cooper Flagg pushed the Blue Devils’ benefit to double-digits for the primary time, 19-9. A four-point-play by Knueppel gave the Milwaukee, Wis., native 13 early factors.
• A nook three-pointer from Mason Gillis made it a 14-point burst by Duke and triggered a Maine timeout with 12:24 on the clock and the Blue Devils forward by 17, 26-9. The Black Bears responded with 9 straight factors out of the break, drawing inside eight, 26-18, midway via the opening 20 minutes of motion.
• The 2 groups traded baskets for a lot of the rest of the primary half, with Flagg highlighting the ultimate minutes of motion with a high-flying dunk. Duke remained up by double-digits, 44-33, on the break and was led by Knueppel’s 15 first-half factors.
• A 3-pointer by Proctor opened the scoring within the second half for Duke. Flagg and Maluach mixed for the following six factors, because the Blue Devils went up by 14, 53-39. One other three-pointer, this time from Knueppel, prolonged the lead and compelled a Maine timeout.
• Consecutive layups via contact by Sion James gave the Tulane switch seven factors for the sport and Duke an 11-0 scoring run that spanned simply over three minutes.
• Knueppel eclipsed 20 factors with a layup on the 9:47 mark of the second half and a fast 10-2 scoring burst by the Blue Devils edged the hosts’ result in 24, 72-48, with simply over eight minutes remaining within the contest.
• Duke remained forward, 85-56, on the last media timeout of the sport. The Blue Devils’ protection held Maine to only one made discipline purpose over the ultimate 10:59 to safe the 96-62 victory.

NOTES

• The Blue Devils outscored Maine 52-29 within the second half, holding the Black Bears to at least one discipline purpose in last 10:59 of the competition.
• Duke outrebounded the guests 40-27 general and dominated the glass within the second half with a 24-9 rebounding benefit.
• Six Blue Devils scored in double figures in Monday evening’s victory, marking the primary time Duke has had six double-digit scorers since Feb. 19, 2022, versus Florida State.
• Duke’s protection restricted Maine to only 4 assists on 21 baskets, whereas forcing 14 Black Bear turnovers.
• Duke is now 93-27 in season-openers and has gained 25 straight to open the season.
• The Blue Devils have gained 43 consecutive home-openers.
• Duke has gained each conferences towards Maine. The primary matchup was a 94-55 Blue Satan victory in Durham on Dec. 3, 2016.
• Kon Knueppel scored a game-high 22 factors, together with 15 within the first 16 minutes. The freshman shot 8-of-14 from the sector, together with 3-of-8 from lengthy vary, and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line.
• Cooper Flagg collected 18 factors, seven rebounds, 5 assists and three steals to turn into the primary freshman in Duke historical past to have at the very least 10 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and three steals of their debut.
• Caleb Foster and Sion James every scored 11 factors, whereas Tyrese Proctor and Mason Gillis added 10 factors apiece.
• Khaman Maluach registered six factors, six boards and three blocked pictures in his collegiate debut.
• Maliq Brown grabbed seven rebounds to match Flagg for the game-high on the boards, whereas additionally distributing 4 assists.

QUOTES

• “It was a superb first step. I believed there was lots to wash up and lots to get higher at, however I like the hassle. I believed the preliminary eight minutes was actually sturdy. After which, give Maine credit score as a result of Chris[Markwood] does a terrific job with these guys. Very disciplined. They make you’re employed late into the shot clock. So, the sustained effort, it’s important to have defending after which come again and run a superb offense. I did not assume we did that constantly, however there are some actually good issues. For Cooper [Flagg] and Kon [Knueppel], of their first recreation, to play the way in which they did, I believed it was actually good. And I believed Tyrese [Proctor], despite the fact that he did not get lots of pictures, simply the way in which he made others higher. He had 5 rebounds, defended, and made easy performs. I might undergo every man, nevertheless it’s a superb first recreation for us. Lot to construct on and lot to get higher at.” – Duke head coach Jon Scheyer
• “It feels good to get a win within the first recreation and begin 1-0 at dwelling. I feel we performed all proper. We have got lots of room for enchancment. We have got to get somewhat higher defensively there within the first half. We had been shedding the rebounding battle at halftime, in order that’s not good. We have got to wash that up, particularly [against] a workforce that is not as huge as we’re. We had been somewhat uneven tonight with the ball. We might’ve gotten it shifting somewhat higher and enjoying like we did within the exhibition video games. We have simply bought to maintain enjoying collectively. It is the primary recreation – I feel there’s going to be a few bumps within the video games we play, so we have to get these labored out. It was good to get it going within the second half.” – Duke freshman Kon Knueppel
• “It is simply one thing that is all the time been part of my recreation, simply attempting to influence [the game] in lots of alternative ways, whether or not it is making the correct play, discovering an open teammate, rebounding, no matter it’s. It is one thing that our workforce, generally, has been priding ourselves on. Outdoors of the pictures, solely about six % of the sport is making or lacking pictures. So simply priding ourselves across the 94 % that does not revolve round pictures – rebounding, enjoying good protection, enjoying with vitality, these sorts of factor that we are able to management. That is been large for us and an enormous focus for us, simply attempting to influence the sport in any manner doable.” – Duke freshman Cooper Flagg on how he impacts the sport in a number of methods

UP NEXT

• No. 7 Duke returns to Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m., internet hosting Military West Level. The sport will broadcast on the ACC Community.

For extra data on Duke Basketball, comply with the Blue Devils on Twitter, Fb and Instagram by looking out “DukeMBB”.
 
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