Flagg's double-double leads No. 4 Duke to an 8th straight win, 89-62 over SMU

Flagg’s double-double leads No. 4 Duke to an 8th straight win, 89-62 over SMU

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Duke guard Cooper Flagg (2) shoots the ball over SMU center Samet Yigitoglu (24) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. Duke wins 89-62. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Cooper Flagg (2) drives to the basket between SMU center Samet Yigitoglu (24) and forward Matt Cross (33) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Cooper Flagg (2) looks to pass the ball past SMU guard Kario Oquendo (8) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Cooper Flagg (2) shoots over SMU forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton (22) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Cooper Flagg (2) shoots over SMU center Samet Yigitoglu (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Tyrese Proctor (5) makes a jump shot during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against SMU, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Tyrese Proctor (5) makes a lay-up against SMU during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Kon Knueppel (7) makes a jump shot against SMU during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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SMU center Samet Yigitoglu (24) and Duke guard Sion James (14) battle for control of the ball as guard Kon Knueppel (7) and guard Tyrese Proctor (5) and forward Maliq Brown (6) look on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. Duke wins 89-62. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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SMU guard Boopie Miller (2) drives to the basket past Duke guard Sion James, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Kon Knueppel (7) looks to pass the ball past SMU center Samet Yigitoglu (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke guard Sion James (14) and SMU forward Matt Cross (33) battle for controlling the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. Duke wins 89-62. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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Duke associate head coach Chris Carrawell, filling for coach Jon Scheyer missed the trip due to illness, shouts instruction to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against SMU, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

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SMU head coach Andy Enfield motions to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Dallas. Duke wins 89-62. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)

By STEPHEN HAWKINS

DALLAS (AP) — Duke standout freshman Cooper Flagg had 24 points and 11 rebounds as the fourth-ranked Blue Devils, playing without ill coach Jon Scheyer, extended their winning streak to eight games with an 89-62 victory at Atlantic Coast Conference newcomer SMU on Saturday.

Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel each had 14 points for the Blue Devils (12-2, 4-0).

Wake Forest transfer Boopie Miller had 21 points for SMU (11-3, 2-1), which saw its seven-game winning streak snapped. Samet Yigitoglu, a 7-foot-2 freshman from Istanbul, had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Matt Cross had 11 points.

Scheyer didn’t travel with the team and missed a game for the first time in three seasons as Duke’s head coach. Associate head coach Chris Carrawell was the acting coach.

Duke came in with the league’s top scoring defense and throttled the ACC’s highest-scoring team. The Mustangs were averaging more than 87 points a game for first-year coach Andy Enfield.

The Mustang shot 34% from the field (23 of 67) and their only lead was 3-2 after Cross made a 3-pointer on their first shot.

Takeaways

Duke: The Blue Devils had quick responses each time SMU appeared to be making a run. The first was after an early 10-point lead was trimmed to 18-16. Flagg then had a jumper and a 3-pointer. … Duke was in Texas for the first time since losing to N.C. State in an Elite Eight game played at the NBA Dallas Mavericks’ arena about 5 miles away.

SMU: With a sellout crowd, even with students not back from winter break, the Mustangs couldn’t generate any Moody magic for an early signature win with Enfield.

Key moment

After a jumper by Cross to open the second half and get SMU within 41-34, Flagg scored nine points in less than three minutes. That was part of a 13-3 Duke run.

Key stats

Duke outscored SMU 42-24 in the paint. The Blue Devils made 11 3-pointers while SMU had five.

Up next

Duke is home against Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, when SMU is at North Carolina.

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