Cooper Flagg and Duke get a breather in victory over Seattle

Seattle’s Malek Gomma passes the ball while Duke’s Cooper Flagg (left) and Mason Gillis defend during the second half of the Blue Devils’ 70-48 win Friday night in Durham, North Carolina Ben McKeown/Associated Press

The Duke men’s basketball team took a breather on Friday.

After playing three ranked teams on the road in 15 days, No. 11 Duke returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium and steamrolled Seattle 70-48. Tyrese Proctor led the way with 13 points. Newport native Cooper Flagg added nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

The Redhawks went back and forth with the Blue Devils for the first 10 minutes. But then freshman sharpshooter Kon Knueppel started an 18-7 run with a drive to the basket and a 3-pointer. Khaman Maluach scored with a light touch at the rim, Proctor knocked down a three-pointer, Flagg made four free throws in three attempts to the line and Sion James knocked down a long-range jumper during that stretch – extending Duke’s lead to 12.

Seattle and Duke traded baskets for the remainder of the first half before the Blue Devils opened the second half with a 9-0 run.

Caleb Foster ran for two layups and Duke continued to push the pace with the help of Flagg. His hustle on the offensive boards – he caught a ball on the way out of bounds and threw it over the back of an unsuspecting Redhawks to secure possession – led to Maluach having a dunk on the ensuing possession. Flagg found Proctor for a 3-pointer on the next play, extending the Blue Devils’ lead to 21 with over 16 minutes left.

Despite the win, Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Friday that he wasn’t “happy with much.” In particular, he pointed to the Blue Devils’ shot selection and fouling – the latter of which gave Seattle 31 free throw attempts.

“I thought we rushed it,” Scheyer said. “Too many ball losses (13). We have to finish harder, drive harder, make extra passes… we have to get back to training to be fair to our guys. We were traveling and need some practice time.”

Here are three takeaways from the game:

PROCTOR, FLAGG, KNUEPPEL CONTINUE TO PROCEED

Proctor is still on the rise behind the arc. The junior sank three 3-pointers against Seattle — each with an assist from Flagg — and added four assists, a block and a steal.

Proctor has now made two 3-pointers or more in all seven regular-season games and both exhibition contests, leading Duke with 23. He made a career-best five triples against Kansas and is now shooting nearly 47% from 3-point range on the season (23 for 49).

“He plays to his strengths on offense,” said Scheyer. “I’ve been looking after him for two years – I want him to be ready to shoot because he’s such a good shooter. He was like that. I think it opens up a lot more possibilities for his game.”

Behind Proctor, it was a similar story for the freshman duo Knueppel and Flagg. Knueppel helped galvanize Duke’s offense in the first half, finishing the game with 11 points and a 3-for-4 performance from behind the arc.

Although Flagg didn’t have the best shooting night, he continued to show the many ways he can impact a game. From rushing plays to controlling the tempo on offense to dominating the boards with nine rebounds, he did it all. Oh, and a season-best seven assists to boot. Not so bad.

Duke’s defense is disruptive, but the offense falters early

Against Seattle, Duke showed off its defensive intensity and helped mitigate a rather difficult start on offense.

The Blue Devils initially had problems from the field and only scored 27% of their goals after eight minutes. That included a 2-for-9 start from 3-point range.

“I just thought we were really soft in the first half,” Scheyer said. “They were more physically active with us – that’s two games in a row. They were more physical on defense than we were.”

But Duke kept the game close and gave its offense room for error. The Blue Devils allowed Seattle just six field goals on 26% shooting in the first half, although Scheyer said it was more due to the Redhawks’ misses than Duke applying pressure.

In the second half, Seattle failed to score a field goal until the 9:18 mark of the second half. Transferred to the first half, that’s two field goals in about 18 minutes of play. Stifling, to say the least – and much more in line with what Scheyer expects from his team.

“For me, the first eight minutes of the second half were what we had to do,” said Scheyer. “I thought we came out with great energy (and) really took care of the ball. We had five players defending the ball and that’s the energy I like.”

ISAIAH EVANS IMPRESSES IN THE FIRST MINUTES SINCE NOV. 11

When freshman guard Isaiah Evans entered the game with 15 minutes left in the first half, it was the first time the five-star recruit had seen the floor since Duke hosted Wofford on Nov. 11.

After Evans missed a three-pointer, turned the ball over and committed a foul within three minutes, he was substituted. Evans came back into the game later in the half and sank a triple. Then, in the second half, the freshman’s thunderous slam — complete with a flex and a whoop — electrified the crowd. Evans soon added another 3-pointer to pad his stat line.

The guard’s performance was nothing special, both in terms of efficiency and in the context of the game. However, after sitting on the bench in each of Duke’s high-profile contests to begin the season, this latest appearance could significantly boost the state’s top recruit’s confidence.

After the win, Scheyer praised Evans for his attitude despite limited minutes.

“He worked every day,” Scheyer said. “It’s easy for guys to shoot, but he asked (assistant coach Emanuel Dildy), ‘What can I work on after practice?’ I want to work on my defense. “I want to work on my positioning.” Daily. He has been consistent in his approach… his talent is obvious. It’s just a matter of learning how to play and getting comfortable with everything.”

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