Viktor Lakhin scored 22 points, and Clemson held Player of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg in check for most of the game, securing a 77-71 victory over No. 2 Duke on Saturday night. The Tigers upset ended Duke’s 16-game winning streak and denied the Blue Devils a chance to take over the No. 1 ranking in the country for the first time under head coach Jon Scheyer.
Chase Hunter added 14 points, while Ian Schieffelin contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Clemson (19-5, 11-2 ACC), which overcame a six-point halftime deficit with a dominant second-half surge. The Tigers win also dashed Duke’s hopes of completing an unbeaten regular season in ACC play.
The Blue Devils (20-3, 12-1 ACC) entered the game with an opportunity to claim the nation’s top spot after No. 1 Auburn lost 90-81 to No. 6 Florida earlier in the day. However, Duke struggled to capitalize, as Clemsons defense frustrated Flagg, limiting him to just four points in the game’s first 34 minutes. The star freshman finished with 18 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
Tyrese Proctor led Duke with 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Clemson’s resilience. The Tigers used a crucial 12-0 run in the second half to take a 56-49 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining. Duke fought back but was ultimately undone by key defensive plays and mistakes down the stretch.
With 14 seconds remaining and Duke trailing by two, Flagg lost his footing, resulting in a crucial turnover that sealed Clemson’s upset. Chase Hunter cemented the victory with a game-saving block on Proctor’s layup attempt with 7.9 seconds left. The Tigers rebounded from an exhausting 89-86 triple-overtime loss to Georgia Tech earlier in the week, proving their toughness against one of the nation’s top teams.
The Blue Devils struggled with depth, missing forward Mason Gillis for the second straight game due to illness. Flagg’s slow start and inefficiency hurt their offensive flow.
The Tigers added another impressive win to their resume, having already defeated then-No. 4 Kentucky earlier this season. Despite making just 13 of 22 free throws, Clemson’s defense and timely plays made the difference.
The Blue Devils will look to bounce back when they host California on Wednesday night. The Tigers will face another tough challenge as they host North Carolina on Monday night.
With the win, Clemson solidified itself as a serious contender in the ACC race, while Duke will need to regroup as they chase a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
