Flagg breaks Duke's freshman scoring record in win over Notre Dame

Cooper Flagg is rewriting Duke's record books.

The Blue Devils star scored 42 points to help Jon Scheyer's squad defeat Notre Dame 86-78 on Saturday, shattering the school's single-game scoring record by a freshman.

With seven minutes left to play, Flagg overtook the previous mark of 35 set by Zion Williamson in 2019 against Syracuse.

Flagg also became the first Blue Devil to score 40 or more in one game since JJ Redick put up 40 against Virginia in January 2006.

The 18-year-old added seven assists and six rebounds and was efficient from all over the floor; he shot 11-of-14 overall, including 4-of-6 from distance, and converted all but one of his 17 trips to the free-throw line.

The Maine native, widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, didn't take long to make an impact, soaring through the lane just six minutes in for a one-handed jam that brought the crowd at Cameron Indoor Stadium to its feet.

Duke appeared to stall immediately following Flagg's record-setting bucket, which came on a mid-range jumper with 7:39 to play and pushed the team's lead to 13.

The Blue Devils failed to score another field goal for the remainder of the contest, allowing Notre Dame to shrink the gap to four with just over 30 seconds left. However, Flagg responded with a pair of free throws to restore Duke's lead to six and the Fighting Irish failed to get closer the rest of the way.

Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach added 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Markus Burton led Notre Dame with 23 points to go with five rebounds and two assists.

The win kept Duke perfect through six ACC matchups this season and improved the school's overall record to 14-2.