Cooper Flagg, Caleb Love put on show in Duke's epic March Madness win over Arizona

Flagg and Love combined for 65 points

Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (1) drives to the basket against Duke Blue Devils guard Kon Knueppel (7) during their Sweet 16 matchup. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

College basketball fans were treated to a show Thursday night in New Jersey.

Two of the best players in the game — Cooper Flagg and Caleb Love — traded blows throughout the Sweet 16 matchup between Duke and Arizona at Prudential Center. Behind Flagg's 30-point performance, Duke emerged with a 100-93 victory.

Cooper Flagg was UNREAL in @DukeMBB's Sweet 16 win over Arizona 😈

30 PTS | 7 AST | 6 REB | 3 BLK#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/EHqw7vKrgZ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 28, 2025

The 18-year-old Flagg, who will likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was 9-of-19 from the field and had 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks. Every time Arizona got close, he made a big play to keep Duke in front.

The 23-year-old Love kept Arizona in the game with his second-half shotmaking. He scored 21 of his 35 points in the second half, bringing Arizona back from a 19-point deficit to make it a five-point game with just under two minutes to play. In his final college game, Love was 11-of-21 from the field and 5-of-11 from the 3-point line.

Duke was favored by 9.5 points, and it looked like the Blue Devils might run away with the game midway through the second half. But Love scored 15 consecutive points over a 5-minute stretch to keep Arizona close.

Caleb Love what a finish 🤯#MarchMadness @ArizonaMBB pic.twitter.com/kAEZpkVd5d

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 28, 2025

Arizona took 11 more shots than Duke (66-55), but Duke shot 60% from the field on a flurry of dunks and layups. The Wildcats had a hard time keeping the Blue Devils out of the paint and off the glass, partly because of foul trouble. The officials called a staggering 24 fouls on Arizona and 22 on Duke — and it impacted the game significantly.

Duke (34-3), the No. 1 seed in the East Region, moves on to face No. 2 Alabama in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

Arizona (24-13) will head back to Tucson for the first time in over a week. The Wildcats flew directly from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey, after their second-round NCAA Tournament victory over Oregon on Sunday.

More March Madness News

feed