Whatever you thought a matchup between a varsity team and a junior varsity team would be like, this was worse. The Duke basketball team, as expected, rolled over Mount St. Mary’s in the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament.
There was no doubt from the opening tipoff.
Kon Knueppel opened the game with a layup. Khaman Maluach had a dunk next.
Before long it was a 13-2 run to start the game for the Blue Devils, which grew to a 22-6 lead after a Cooper Flagg dunk, who was in the starting lineup after missing the last two games with an ankle injury, and it resulted in a 93-49 victory.
Jon Scheyer’s squad looked every bit as good as the near 33-point favorite it entered the game as.
While the rookies got acclimated to the NCAA Tournament, it was Duke’s veteran – Tyrese Proctor – who set the tone in Raleigh. After a disastrous end to his sophomore season in the Elite 8, Proctor rose to the occasion on this night with 19 points on six made 3-pointers.
Every player that stepped on the floor for Duke scored except for Cameron Sheffield.
As a team, the Blue Devils connected on 14 triples. Flagg found his game quickly after the hiatus with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
Caleb Foster, one of few players on the roster with postseason experience, added to the 3-point barrage with three triples and 12 points. The scoring was balanced as Maluach was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.
It was a great game to get warm for Duke since it will have a challenge against Baylor and ex-Duke guard Jeremy Roach on Sunday after a disappointing season for the Bears, which was a preseason Top-10 team that failed to meet expectations.
Still, there is a lot of talent that will be on the opposing sideline to close the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
A tipoff time will be released later Friday night for Duke’s next game.