Freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel help No. 7 Duke roll past Maine 96-62 in season opener

No. 7 Duke hit Maine 96-62 successful nan play opener for some teams

DURHAM, N.C. -- Star freshman Cooper Flagg had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists successful his assemblage debut, and No. 7 Duke hit Maine 96-62 connected Monday nighttime successful nan play opener for some teams.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg — nan nation’s top-ranked enlistee and a preseason Associated Press All-American — made 6 of 15 shots and each six of his free throws. Fellow rookie Kon Knueppel powered nan discourtesy pinch 22 points and 3 3-pointers for nan Blue Devils (1-0), who changeable 55.6% for nan game.

Quion Burns scored 15 points for nan Black Bears (0-1), which changeable conscionable 6 for 24 (25%) aft halftime arsenic Duke pulled away.

Maine: The Black Bears were picked 4th successful nan America East, their highest projected decorativeness since nan 2010-11 season. They hung astir successful nan first half (45.5% shooting) but everything was a struggle aft nan break.

Duke: The Atlantic Coast Conference favourite had six players people successful double figures, including returnees Caleb Foster (11) and Tyrese Proctor (10).

Duke pulled distant pinch an 11-0 tally successful nan 2nd half. Knueppel made a area 3 disconnected a provender from Flagg and Sion James scored doubly successful nan overgarment to push nan separator to 60-39 pinch 14:33 left.

Knueppel, a 6-7 wing, had 15 points connected 5-for-8 shooting pinch a brace of 3s by halftime. That included a 4-point play successful modulation that had him outscoring Maine 13-9 successful those opening 7 1/2 minutes arsenic Duke ran retired to a double-digit lead.

The Blue Devils big Army connected Friday successful a location tuneup earlier facing No. 23 Kentucky successful adjacent week's Champions Classic successful Atlanta. The Black Bears return location Wednesday to big Maine-Fort Kent, a United States Collegiate Athletic Association member.

___

Get canvass alerts and updates connected nan AP Top 25 passim nan season. Sign up  here. AP assemblage basketball:  https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll  and  https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball