Cooper Flagg Leads No. 3 Duke to Easy Win Over Cal at Cameron Indoor
In a matchup between the ACC’s top defensive team and the conference’s worst shooting team, No. 3 Duke dominated Cal 78-57 on Wednesday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Cal, struggling with field-goal shooting and ranked last in the ACC in accuracy, managed just 35% from the floor. Freshman guard Jeremiah Wilkinson was the lone bright spot for the Bears, scoring 21 points, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Wilkinson, who has averaged 20 points over the last seven games, contributed 15 of his points in the second half, shooting 6-of-8.
“Jeremiah Wilkinson has been absolutely outstanding,” said Cal coach Mark Madsen. “As he starts more, his confidence grows, and he’s doing a great job at multiple positions. He was key in running the offense tonight and creating opportunities for himself and others.”
COOPER FLAGG TOOK FLIGHT 😈🔥@DukeMBB | #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/PP4GKWoSGz
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 13, 2025
For Duke, freshman Cooper Flagg continued his stellar season, scoring 27 points, including a steal and a reverse dunk on a fast break. The 6-foot-9 forward, likely the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft, helped the Blue Devils (21-3, 13-1) stay perfect at home. Flagg’s performance included 8-of-14 shooting, 2-of-4 from three, and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
“Flagg is the No. 1 player in the draft for a reason,” Madsen said. “We threw different looks at him, tried to get physical, but he still dropped 27. He worked hard for every point.”
Cal (12-13, 5-9) struggled offensively, shooting just 29% in the first half and trailing by 13 at the break. The Bears couldn’t generate enough offense to match Duke’s defense, which leads the ACC in both scoring and field-goal defense. The Blue Devils extended their lead to as much as 26 points in the second half, with Tyrese Proctor adding 18 points for the hosts.
Madsen pointed to missed opportunities. “We were close in a few defensive sequences and needed to knock down a couple of open threes to make it a closer game,” he said. “But we just couldn’t keep up with them.”
Andrej Stojakovic contributed 10 points, but struggled in the second half, scoring just two. Rytis Petraitis added 11 for Cal, but it wasn’t enough to challenge Duke’s firepower.
Cal will look to bounce back when they face Georgia Tech on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The Bears are one win away from matching last season’s total, but have yet to defeat Duke, with their last upset of the Blue Devils coming in the 1993 NCAA tournament.
Duke dominated from the start, with Flagg scoring 13 points in the first half and the Blue Devils holding a commanding 38-23 lead at the break. Cal shot just 8-of-28 in the first half and made only 3-of-12 from three. Duke, on the other hand, shot 43% and hit 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, with five different players contributing 3-pointers.
Stojakovic, who led Cal with eight points at halftime, continued his struggles from three, missing his first two attempts. He has made just 1-of-18 from deep in the last six games.
Leave a Reply