Blue Devils Rally for Road Victory, 76-65, at Louisville

Sunday, December 8

Louisville, KY

6 p.m.

Duke University

7-2,1-0ACC

Louisville

5-4,0-1ACC

Duke

Louisville

Blue Devils Rally for Road Victory, 76-65, at Louisville

12/8/2024 8:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Duke Quotes (PDF)Postgame Notes (PDF)Coach Scheyer Presser Highlights Photo Gallery

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Duke men's basketball rallied from a 14-point deficit at Louisville, as the Blue Devils (7-2, 1-0 ACC) went on to defeat the Cardinals (5-4, 0-1 ACC), 76-65, on Sunday, Dec. 8. Duke weathered a blistering first-half shooting performance by Louisville and logged the program's largest comeback victory since the Blue Devils overcame a 16-point margin against Boston College on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cooper Flagg led the team with 20 points and was joined in double-figures by teammates Tyrese Proctor (13), Kon Knueppel (12) and Sion James (11). Flagg finished with 12 caroms, tallying his second consecutive double-double, and Maliq Brown also snagged double-digit rebounds, grabbing 11 for a new personal season-high. Knueppel also dished a team-high five assists, giving the freshman his fifth game with at least three assists in the last six Duke contests.

With the win in Duke's conference opener, the Blue Devils have now started ACC play with a win in six of the last seven seasons and are now 53-19 in ACC lid-lifters.

HOW IT HAPPENED

After a Louisville basket on its first possession, Tyrese Proctor nailed a three-pointer on Duke's first offensive trip to push Duke in front early, 3-2. The Cardinals responded with the next eight points and Duke called timeout after just over three minutes, trailing by seven, 10-3. Caleb Foster snapped the scoring streak, connecting on a three-pointer of his own, and the Blue Devils trailed by four, 10-6, at the first media break of the game.
Louisville continued its hot shooting night from beyond the arc, starting the evening 5-of-7 from deep, to hold a nine-point lead, 21-12, with 12 minutes remaining in the first half. More success from three for the hosts gave the Cardinals a lead as large as 14, 30-16, before five quick points from Duke triggered a Louisville timeout with 7:44 on the clock.
After a contested hook shot in the paint found the net for Louisville with five minutes to play before the break, Duke scored 10 of the next 12 points to narrow the margin to just four, 37-33, at halftime.
The two teams traded blows in the early stages of the second half and Flagg became the first Blue Devil to reach double-digit points, hitting on a three-pointer to make it a three-point game, 45-42.
Duke continued to stay within two possessions, spurred by Proctor's back-to-back driving layups to give the junior 11 points. The Blue Devils drew even, 55-55, with a Sion James dunk through traffic at the 9:27 mark. Two free throws from James gave Duke a lead, 57-55, for the first time since the first minute of the game.
A driving layup from Proctor marked the Blue Devils' ninth straight made field goal. An extended 13-2 scoring run pushed Duke ahead by six, 63-57, and triggered a Louisville timeout with seven minutes remaining in the contest. A step-back three-pointer from Kon Knueppel increased Duke's lead to double-digits, 68-57, with 5:42 on the clock.
The Blue Devils never relinquished control for the remainder of the game en route to the 76-65 victory.

NOTES

Duke outscored Louisville, 43-28, in the second half after trailing by as many as 14 in the first half.
In the final 12 minutes of play, Duke limited Louisville to just three made shots from the field and only 14 points.
The 14-point comeback marked the Blue Devils' largest recovery in a victory since bouncing back from a 16-point deficit against Boston College on Jan. 6, 2021.
Duke has now started conference play with a win in six of the last seven seasons.
The Blue Devils are now 53-19 in ACC openers, including a 16-13 mark when those contests are on the road.
Duke has won nine of the last 12 meetings with Louisville, including six straight, and leads the all-time series 16-9.
The Blue Devils are now 6-4 against the Cardinals when playing in Louisville, including a 5-3 record in the KFC Yum! Center.
Duke owns a 17-7 record on Dec. 8, having won six of its last seven and nine of its last 11 games played on this date.
The Blue Devils improve their record against current ACC members to 999-512.
The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle (35-34) and has now finished with a positive margin on the boards in seven of the nine games played so far this season.
Duke's defense limited Louisville to just 14 points in the paint. The Blue Devils entered the contest allowing just 23.5 points per game in the paint.
The Blue Devils turned 15 Louisville turnovers into 20 points, while allowing Louisville to only score eight points off Duke's seven turnovers (three after intermission).
The Cardinals were limited to just three fast-break points, marking the third straight game that a Duke opponent has scored three or fewer points in transition.
Cooper Flagg paced the team with 20 points and a season-best 12 rebounds, securing a second consecutive double-double after his 22/11 performance against No. 2 Auburn on Dec. 4.
Flagg also blocked one shot, swiped two steals and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
Tyrese Proctor finished with 13 points, second-most on the team.
Maliq Brown finished with nine points and was a force on the glass, grabbing a season-high 11 caroms. The junior finished with a plus/minus of +24, also swiped three steals and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.
Kon Knueppel scored 12 points, highlighted by two key three-pointers in the second half.
Knueppel also recorded five assists, three shy of his career high of eight that was set against Kansas on Nov. 26. The freshman has recorded at least two assists in all but one game this season, and has dished at least three dimes in six of the last seven contests.
Sion James rounded out Duke's double-figure scorers with 11 points, spearheaded by a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. James also reeled in three boards and tallied one assist, one block and one steal.

QUOTES

"First of all, credit to Louisville. We knew they would come out incredibly ready, which they did. They shot the ball really well. Shot 50 percent from three in the first half. Ton of respect for them, their program, everything they're doing and their coaching staff. For us, it was just a tough win. I think this group has already shown, in this short season, the character and heart that we have. Down 14, and to come back, a lot of it is because of these two guys right next to me. You know, Maliq [Brown], plus 24, all the winning plays that he made on the defensive end – rebounds, blocks – he was so steady but his competitive level was so high. And then Tyrese [Proctor] just had great leadership and great poise the whole game. Frankly, he missed some shots he normally makes. Even with that, he didn't let that impact the rest of his game. His defense was terrific. His steadiness on the court. And the stretch of the game was when [Cooper Flagg] had the four fouls. Mason Gillis, what he did coming in with his toughness, he wasn't phased at all. And that group, it was 18-3 or something like that, huge segment in the game, to break that open. Couldn't be more proud. It's been a heck of a stretch. Heck of a nine games for us. Just proud of these guys for their competitiveness and will to win." - Duke head coach Jon Scheyer
"They were switching early, just trying to make us play outside the perimeter. Like I said, we had to get the ball to the second and third side, get downhill and get to the free throw line, which we lacked in the first half. I thought we did a better job in the second half, just letting it come to us, instead of forcing some tough ones. Just picking out plays, picking out matchups." - Duke junior guard Tyrese Proctor

UP NEXT

Duke returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 10 against Incarnate Word. The Blue Devils and Cardinals square off inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ACC Network.

Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu

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