Flagg scores 24 and No. 5 Duke holds George Mason to 29% shooting in 68-47 win

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Freshman star Cooper Flagg had 24 points and nine rebounds as No. 5 Duke held George Mason to just 29.4% shooting in a 68-47 win Tuesday night.

Flagg, a preseason Associated Press All-American, shot 7 for 20 from the field but was active on the glass. He had four assists and was perfect in eight trips to the foul line for the Blue Devils (9-2).

Jalen Haynes scored 18 points to lead the Patriots (7-4), but only one teammate hit more than two shots.

Takeaways

George Mason: The Patriots had won five straight since a double-overtime loss at East Carolina on Nov. 16. George Mason fell to 4-25 against current ACC teams.

Duke’s Caleb Foster, right, is pressured by George Mason’s Jared Billups, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

Duke: The Blue Devils returned to the court after a week off for exams following a win against Incarnate Word.

Key moment

In a game with few stretches of flowing offense, Duke’s 9-0 burst early in the second half stood out in expanding a 27-18 lead. Flagg hit two free throws and a jumper, then got in the lane for a score before whipping a pass to Tyrese Proctor for a corner 3-pointer to make it 36-18 at the 16:40 mark.

George Mason briefly got within a dozen midway through the second half but no closer.

Key stat

Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against George Mason in Durham, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)

This promised to be a defense-oriented matchup, with George Mason ranked No. 3 nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.354) and Duke fifth (.362). The teams combined to make 15 of 61 shots (24.6%) in the first half, but the Blue Devils made 12 of 23 (52.2%) after the break while the Patriots warmed up to a tepid 35% (14 of 40) in the final 20 minutes.

Up next

The Patriots host Penn on Sunday. The Blue Devils play their second ACC road game at Georgia Tech on Saturday.