DURHAM, N.C. — Duke played as tough an opponent as it’ll face all season Wednesday night against Auburn, an opponent it could very well face again at the Final Four in San Antonio.
The ninth-ranked Blue Devils took the second-ranked Tigers’ best punch and responded each time with the toughness necessary to take down previously-unbeaten Auburn in a 84-78 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
With the victory, Duke (6-2) evened its record against ranked opponents (2-2) and handed the Tigers (7-1) their first loss of the season.
Cooper Flagg (22 points), Isaiah Evans (18 points), Tyrese Proctor (12 points) and Caleb Foster (11 points) finished in double figures to lead Duke. Johni Broome and Tahaad Pettiford scored 20 points each to pace four Tigers in double figures.
Here are some observations from the Blue Devils’ win against Auburn in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Cooper Flagg stats vs. Auburn
Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, didn’t have an efficient shooting night, but he did everything else well in a double-double performance. Matching the Tigers’ toughness, Flagg finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists, three steals and two blocks.
Sion James’ birthday bash
Sion James took a beating for the Blue Devils on his 22nd birthday, but he got up every time he hit Coach K Court. James, one of the Blue Devils’ veteran transfers, threw down a one-handed dunk early in the second half as he got hit in the face and completed the three-point play to help Duke maintain its momentum. In his first start of the season, James finished with nine points, four rebounds, two blocks and three steals.
Isaiah Evans’ ridiculous 3-point shooting
Evans couldn’t miss in the first half against Auburn. The freshman wing did miss two attempts from 3-point range, but he made six treys to score 18 points in 11 minutes off the bench for the Blue Devils. Evans’ heater helped Duke take a 43-36 halftime lead.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.