NEW YORK (AP)— Cooper Flagg scored 16 points in his Madison Square Garden debut, and seven players scored in double digits for No. 3 Duke in a 110-67 thrashing of Illinois on Saturday night, the most lopsided loss in Illinois history.
Isaiah Evans led the Blue Devils (24-3) with 17 points in 18 minutes off the bench, while Kon Knueppel contributed 15. Duke established a 23-point advantage in the first half, scoring its most points since a 113-49 victory against Stetson in December 2018.
Flagg, the freshman standout projected to be the first selection in this year’s NBA draft, added seven rebounds and five assists in 23 1/2 minutes. But the Blue Devils didn’t even need his best as they cruised to their biggest win at MSG.
Tre White scored 16 points for Illinois (17-11) in a nonconference game between two programs that advanced to the Elite Eight last season. Kasparas Jakucionis scored fourteen.
Takeaways
Illinois: After a 12-3 start, the Fighting Illini have slumped due to sickness and forward Morez Johnson Jr.’s injury. They’ve lost three consecutive, with an average of 26 points versus teams rated in the top 11 at the time.
Up next
Illinois: Will resume Big Ten play at home Tuesday night against Iowa.
Duke: Will visit Miami on Tuesday night.
