Cooper Flagg, No. 3 Duke control boards in dominant victory at UVA

CHARLOTTESVILLE A surging Virginia mens basketball team hoped to carry the momentum from a three-game win streak into its Monday night showdown with No.

3 Duke at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Blue Devils served the Cavaliers a dose of reality, however, in an 80-62 nationally televised beatdown.Virginia succumbed to uber-talented Duke, which put on a complete and emphatic display of dominance on its opponents home court.National Player of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg scored 17 points and grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds in his seventh double-double of the season.

Guard Kon Knueppel posted 17 points and seven boards, and guard Isaiah Evans contributed 17 points and five 3-pointers.The Blue Devils (23-3, 15-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) dominated in every facet, shooting 53% from the floor while holding a decisive advantage in rebounds (41-21).

They led by as many as 27 in the second half.We just have a strong desire to get the ball, Knueppel said.

Weve been really emphasizing that.Virginia, meanwhile, struggled to grab loose balls.

It suffered its biggest negative rebound differential of the season.It was the glass.

I think the glass was the deciding factor, UVA interim coach Ron Sanchez said of his teams rebounding deficiency.

That was unacceptable.

Our interior players have to do a much better job rebounding the basketball.The Cavaliers (13-13, 6-9) struggled to establish an offensive rhythm, connecting on only 38% of their shots, including a 36% clip from 3-point range.

They fell to 0-5 this season against top-25 teams.UVA point guard Andrew Rohde tallied 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, all team highs.

Guard Isaac McKneely logged 14 points and four 3-pointers.

Guard Dai Dai Ames chipped in 15 points and three assists.I think those three guys showed up and met the challenge, Sanchez said.

They played well.

We just didnt get what we needed from other positions.Flagg, who also finished with two blocks and two steals, was spectacular in his first and only trip to JPJ.

The expected No.

1 NBA draft pick had a double-double before the first half was over, logging 10 points and 11 rebounds.Flagg outrebounded the opponent by himself in the first half, as the Cavaliers grabbed only eight boards, one on the offensive end.

Duke, meanwhile, tallied 24 caroms in the games first 20 minutes and turned eight offensive rebounds into 14 second-chance points.Flagg had as many rebounds (14) as Virginia did 10 minutes into the second half.The first half, they really made a statement on the glass.

So many second-chance points.

That was the (deciding) factor, Sanchez said.

Give Duke a lot of credit.

They played hard.

They didnt take any plays off.An exciting first five minutes provided hope for a close contest, as UVA led 12-11 at the under-16 media timeout.

The Blue Devils kept up their electric display while completely suffocating the Cavaliers.Duke went on a 19-4 run, fueled by three triples from Evans, the last of which stretched the lead to 30-16 with 7:17 remaining before the break.Flagg looked every bit the best player in college basketball with a dazzling mix of offensive and defensive highlights.

He closed in on Taine Murray on an attempted backdoor layup and swatted the ball to himself to initiate a fast break that ended with Tyrese Proctors step-back 3-pointer near the midway point of the first half.The 6-foot-9 Flagg cleaned the boards like a night janitor, pulling down every 50-50 ball that came within his orbit.

He scored on an assortment of buckets hook shots, driving layups and turnaround jumpers.Dukes surge seemed to get under the skin of at least one fan in attendance.

Game official Roger Ayers stopped the game to boot a particularly spirited fan sitting near the court.

When given the heave, the fan pointed at Ayers and yelled an obscenity and then high-fived other UVA supporters as he walked to the exit.Virginia hopes to reclaim its cool on Saturday when it travels to Chapel Hill to play another Tobacco Road power, North Carolina.Our journey was not about beating Duke.

Our journey is being the best team we can be.

This is one game and we have to move forward, Sanchez said.We cant hang our heads, Rohde said.

We cant do anything about what happened tonight besides looking at the film and trying to get better..

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