Cooper Flagg reverse dunk, Duke basketball defense among highlights in win vs California

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Basketball

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DURHAM — Duke basketball got back to its disruptive, dominant defensive ways on Wednesday night.

Coming off their first loss in two and a half months, the third-ranked Blue Devils put the clamps on California in the first half of a 78-57 blowout win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The Blue Devils (21-3, 13-1 ACC) limited the Golden Bears (12-13, 6-8) to 35% shooting, holding an opponent under 60 points for the 12th time through 24 games. Duke came out in lockdown mode as Cal missed 20 of its first 28 shots and scored 23 points in the first half.

Here are some other observations about the three standouts in Duke’s rout of Cal in the first ACC meeting between the programs.

Cooper Flagg reverse dunk, stats for Duke basketball vs Cal

It wasn’t quite to the level of a Dominique Wilkins reverse dunk, but Cooper Flagg had a solid attempt at producing that type of punch with a second-half slam against Cal. Midway through the second half, Flagg jumped into a passing lane for a steal and coasted down the court before finishing a reverse jam to put Duke up 26 points. The projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft finished with 27 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Tyrese Proctor continues sizzling stretch of 3-point shooting

Duke junior Tyrese Proctor is in the midst of a sizzling stretch of 3-point shooting. For the first time in his Blue Devil career, Proctor has drained at least three 3-pointers in three straight games. He finished with 18 points, including three 3-pointers against Cal. A 40% shooter from beyond the arc this season, the Aussie has made 11 of 24 treys (45.8%) over the last three games. Duke has a 21-3 record when Proctor makes at least three 3s.

Khaman Maluach rebounding, finishing at rim for Blue Devils

Duke freshman Khaman Malauch had an active first half, finishing with six points, six rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes. The Cameron Crazies begged for Maluach to attempt a 3-pointer early on and he obliged, knocking down his second trey of the season and first at home. He also had four of the Blue Devils’ seven offensive rebounds, which Duke turned into 12 second-chance points. Maluach ended the game with 10 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double performance. Duke needs that consistency from its 7-foot-2 center as March approaches.

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.