Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in his college debut, and No. 7 Duke beat Maine 96-62 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg - the nation’s top-ranked recruit and a preseason Associated Press All-American - made 6 of 15 shots and all six of his free throws. Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel powered the offense with 22 points and three 3-pointers for the Blue Devils (1-0), who shot 55.6% for the game.
Quion Burns scored 15 points for the Black Bears (0-1), which shot just 6 for 24 (25%) after halftime as Duke pulled away.
Maine: The Black Bears were picked fourth in the America East, their highest projected finish since the 2010-11 season. They hung around in the first half (45.5% shooting) but everything was a struggle after the break.
Duke: The Atlantic Coast Conference favorite had six players score in double figures, including returnees Caleb Foster (11) and Tyrese Proctor (10).
Duke pulled away with an 11-0 run in the second half. Knueppel made a corner 3 off a feed from Flagg and Sion James scored twice in the paint to push the margin to 60-39 with 14:33 left.
Knueppel, a 6-7 wing, had 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting with a pair of 3s by halftime. That included a 4-point play in transition that had him outscoring Maine 13-9 in those opening 7 1/2 minutes as Duke ran out to a double-digit lead.
The Blue Devils host Army on Friday in a home tuneup before facing No. 23 Kentucky in next week's Champions Classic in Atlanta. The Black Bears return home Wednesday to host Maine-Fort Kent, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association member.
---
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 |  | Keelan Steele vs. Khaman Maluach (Cooper Flagg gains possession) | ||
| 19:49 |  | Keelan Steele personal foul (Khaman Maluach draws the foul) | ||
| 19:38 | | +2 | Kon Knueppel makes two point layup | 0-2 |
| 19:07 | | Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot | ||
| 19:05 | | Black Bears offensive rebound | ||
| 19:05 | | Black Bears turnover | ||
| 18:55 | | Quion Burns personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | ||
| 18:43 | | +2 | Khaman Maluach makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists) | 0-4 |
| 18:24 | | Quion Burns misses two point jump shot | ||
| 18:22 | | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | ||
| 18:15 | | Tyrese Proctor turnover (bad pass) (Kellen Tynes steals) | ||
| 17:53 | | Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass) | ||
| 17:45 | | Caleb Foster turnover (lost ball) (Kellen Tynes steals) | ||
| 17:30 | | Kellen Tynes misses two point jump shot | ||
| 17:28 | | Keelan Steele offensive rebound | ||
| 17:21 | | +2 | Keelan Steele makes two point layup | 2-4 |
| 17:11 | | +2 | Khaman Maluach makes two point layup (Cooper Flagg assists) | 2-6 |
| 17:05 | | Caleb Foster personal foul | ||
| 16:53 | | Jaden Clayton misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:51 | | Kellen Tynes offensive rebound | ||
| 16:41 | | +2 | Quion Burns makes two point layup (Kellen Tynes assists) | 4-6 |
| 16:34 | | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | ||
| 16:32 | | Quion Burns defensive rebound | ||
| 16:20 | | +2 | Quion Burns makes two point jump shot | 6-6 |
| 16:03 | | +2 | Caleb Foster makes two point layup | 6-8 |
| 16:03 | | Jaden Clayton shooting foul (Caleb Foster draws the foul) | ||
| 16:03 | | Caleb Foster misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | ||
| 16:03 | | Killian Gribben defensive rebound | ||
| 15:49 | | Quion Burns misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:47 | | Maliq Brown defensive rebound | ||
| 15:42 | | +2 | Mason Gillis makes two point layup (Caleb Foster assists) | 6-10 |
| 15:07 | | Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot | ||
| 15:05 | | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | ||
| 14:58 | | Quion Burns personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | ||
| 15:06 | | TV timeout | ||
| 14:54 | | AJ Lopez shooting foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul) | ||
| 14:54 | | +1 | Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 6-11 |
| 14:54 | | +1 | Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 6-12 |
| 14:38 | | +3 | Christopher Mantis makes three point jump shot (AJ Lopez assists) | 9-12 |
| 14:29 | | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | ||
| 14:27 | | Christopher Mantis defensive rebound | ||
| 14:21 | | Christopher Mantis turnover (lost ball) (Kon Knueppel steals) | ||
| 14:17 | | +2 | Kon Knueppel makes two point layup | 9-14 |
| 14:11 | | Maliq Brown personal foul | ||
| 14:04 | | Christopher Mantis misses three point jump shot | ||
| 14:02 | | Maliq Brown defensive rebound | ||
| 13:54 | | +3 | Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 9-17 |
| 13:36 | | Kellen Tynes turnover (bad pass) (Cooper Flagg steals) | ||
| 13:35 | | Novak Perovic personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | ||
| 13:25 | | Novak Perovic personal foul (Cooper Flagg draws the foul) | ||
| 13:25 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 9-18 |
| 13:25 | | +1 | Cooper Flagg makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 9-19 |
| 13:13 | | Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass) (Maliq Brown steals) | ||
| 13:09 | | +3 | Kon Knueppel makes three point jump shot (Maliq Brown assists) | 9-22 |
| 13:09 | | Jaden Clayton shooting foul (Kon Knueppel draws the foul) | ||
| 13:09 | | +1 | Kon Knueppel makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 9-23 |
| 12:38 | | Killian Gribben misses two point jump shot | ||
| 12:36 | | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | ||
| 12:27 | | +3 | Mason Gillis makes three point jump shot (Kon Knueppel assists) | 9-26 |
| 12:21 | | Black Bears 30 second timeout | ||
| 12:21 | | TV timeout | ||
| 12:02 | | +3 | Christopher Mantis makes three point jump shot (Jaden Clayton assists) | 12-26 |
| 11:46 | | Tyrese Proctor misses two point jump shot | ||
| 11:44 | | Khaman Maluach offensive rebound | ||
| 11:42 | | Sion James misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:40 | | Jaden Clayton defensive rebound | ||
| 11:33 | | Khaman Maluach blocks Logan Carey's two point layup | ||
| 11:30 | | Jaden Clayton offensive rebound | ||
| 11:28 | | +2 | Jaden Clayton makes two point layup | 14-26 |
| 11:10 | | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | ||
| 11:08 | | Christopher Mantis defensive rebound | ||
| 11:00 | | +2 | Jaden Clayton makes two point jump shot | 16-26 |
| 10:43 | | Khaman Maluach turnover (bad pass) (Jaden Clayton steals) | ||
| 10:25 | | +2 | Novak Perovic makes two point layup | 18-26 |
| 10:02 | | Kon Knueppel misses three point jump shot | ||
| 10:00 | | Khaman Maluach offensive rebound | ||
| 9:59 | | +3 | Tyrese Proctor makes three point jump shot (Khaman Maluach assists) | 18-29 |
| 9:28 | | Khaman Maluach blocks Christopher Mantis's two point layup | ||
| 9:26 | | Kon Knueppel defensive rebound | ||
| 9:20 | | Kon Knueppel turnover (carrying) | ||
| 8:55 | | Jaden Clayton misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:53 | | Isaiah Evans defensive rebound | ||
| 8:40 | | +2 | Caleb Foster makes two point jump shot | 18-31 |
| 8:18 | | AJ Lopez misses two point jump shot | ||
| 8:16 | | Cooper Flagg defensive rebound | ||
| 8:08 | | Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot | ||
| 8:06 | | Ridvan Tutic defensive rebound | ||
| 7:53 | | Isaiah Evans personal foul (AJ Lopez draws the foul) | ||
| 7:53 | | TV timeout | ||
| 7:40 | | +2 | Kellen Tynes makes two point jump shot | 20-31 |
| 7:22 | | Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot | ||
| 7:20 | | Quion Burns defensive rebound | ||
| 6:52 | | Logan Carey misses two point layup | ||
| 6:50 | | Isaiah Evans defensive rebound | ||
| 6:45 | | Caleb Foster misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:43 | | Kellen Tynes defensive rebound | ||
| 6:35 | | AJ Lopez misses two point jump shot | ||
| 6:33 | | Tyrese Proctor defensive rebound | ||
| 6:28 | | Isaiah Evans misses three point jump shot | ||
| 6:26 | | Cooper Flagg offensive rebound | ||
| 6:25 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point layup | 20-33 |
| 6:10 | | Isaiah Evans personal foul (AJ Lopez draws the foul) | ||
| 5:56 | | +2 | Quion Burns makes two point jump shot | 22-33 |
| 5:45 | | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | ||
| 5:43 | | Christopher Mantis defensive rebound | ||
| 5:23 | | +2 | Keelan Steele makes two point layup | 24-33 |
| 5:13 | | Caleb Foster misses two point layup | ||
| 5:11 | | Quion Burns defensive rebound | ||
| 5:07 | | Quion Burns turnover (bad pass) (Mason Gillis steals) | ||
| 5:03 | | Mason Gillis turnover (bad pass) (Kellen Tynes steals) | ||
| 5:00 | | Mason Gillis shooting foul (Kellen Tynes draws the foul) | ||
| 5:00 | | Kellen Tynes misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | ||
| 5:00 | | +1 | Kellen Tynes makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-33 |
| 4:43 | | +2 | Kon Knueppel makes two point layup | 25-35 |
| 4:39 | | Sion James personal foul | ||
| 4:22 | | Quion Burns turnover (lost ball) (Mason Gillis steals) | ||
| 4:22 | | Quion Burns turnover (lost ball) (Mason Gillis steals) | ||
| 4:17 | | Sion James turnover (bad pass) (AJ Lopez steals) | ||
| 4:14 | | TV timeout | ||
| 3:50 | | +2 | Kellen Tynes makes two point jump shot | 27-35 |
| 3:26 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point dunk | 27-37 |
| 3:10 | | Quion Burns misses two point jump shot | ||
| 3:08 | | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | ||
| 2:57 | | +3 | Sion James makes three point jump shot (Cooper Flagg assists) | 27-40 |
| 2:37 | | Kellen Tynes misses two point jump shot | ||
| 2:35 | | Khaman Maluach defensive rebound | ||
| 2:23 | | Cooper Flagg misses two point jump shot | ||
| 2:21 | | Kellen Tynes defensive rebound | ||
| 2:08 | | +2 | Keelan Steele makes two point layup | 29-40 |
| 1:51 | | +2 | Cooper Flagg makes two point layup (Sion James assists) | 29-42 |
| 1:29 | | +2 | Keelan Steele makes two point layup | 31-42 |
| 1:27 | | Blue Devils 30 second timeout | ||
| 1:18 | | Cooper Flagg misses two point layup | ||
| 1:16 | | Maliq Brown offensive rebound | ||
| 1:16 | | +2 | Maliq Brown makes two point dunk | 31-44 |
| 1:05 | | Quion Burns misses three point jump shot | ||
| 1:03 | | Quion Burns offensive rebound | ||
| 1:02 | | Jaden Clayton misses two point jump shot | ||
| 1:00 | | Killian Gribben offensive rebound | ||
| 0:57 | | +2 | Killian Gribben makes two point layup | 33-44 |
| 0:35 | | Cooper Flagg misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:33 | | Jaden Clayton defensive rebound | ||
| 0:33 | | Jaden Clayton turnover (bad pass) | ||
| 0:03 | | Blue Devils turnover (shot clock violation) | ||
| 0:00 | | Kellen Tynes misses three point jump shot | ||
| 0:00 | | End of period |