DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg scored 22 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 9 Duke push past No. 2 Auburn 84-78 in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Wednesday night.

The preseason Associated Press All-American had 16 points after halftime, helping the Blue Devils (6-2) keep the Tigers and fellow All-American Johni Broome at bay.

Broome had 20 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 15 seconds left for the Tigers (7-1), who missed seven straight shots in the final 4 1/2 minutes. That helped Duke maintain tenuous control in front of its raucous home crowd.

Still, the SEC won the intraconference series 14-2, with Duke and Clemson recording the ACC’s only victories.

Takeaways

Auburn: The Tigers pushed Kansas to No. 1 in the rankings after winning the Maui Invitational. But after Kansas lost at Creighton on Wednesday night, the Tigers followed shortly thereafter in a March-worthy matchup.

Duke: The Blue Devils fought their way out of an early 11-point hole, continually finding timely answers to stay in control, and led by a dozen after halftime.

Key moment

Duke’s lead was just two when Flagg fired a contested shot that was blocked, sending the ball bouncing beyond the 3-point arc as the shot clock expired. But teammate Tyrese Proctor gathered the ball for a long, direct 3-pointer to sound the horn and take a 73-68 lead with 4:30 left.

Key statistics

Freshman guard Isaiah Evans didn’t play in Duke’s games against Kentucky, Arizona or Kansas and had just 29 points all season. But he came out of nowhere, scoring 18 points before halftime and shooting 6 of 8 three-pointers, providing a vital spark off the bench even if he didn’t score after halftime.

Next

The Tigers host Richmond on Sunday. On the same day, the Blue Devils open the Atlantic Coast Conference in Louisville.

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