In a bizarre turn of events, No. 2 Duke overcame adversity—both from NC State and their own sideline—to secure a 74-64 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday night. The game took an unexpected detour late in the second half when Duke center Khaman Maluach projectile vomited on the baseline during a pivotal possession.
The Blue Devils led 63-62 with under five minutes left when Cooper Flagg was fouled while driving to the basket. As attention turned to the foul, Maluach’s unfortunate incident brought play to a halt. The Wolfpack’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield narrowly avoided slipping in the mess before a TV timeout was called for cleanup.
Rather than derail Duke’s momentum, the stoppage seemed to energize the Blue Devils. They dominated the final minutes, outscoring NC State 11-2 to seal the win.
Freshman phenom Cooper Flagg was the driving force behind Duke’s second-half comeback. After a slow start, Flagg exploded for 23 of his game-high 28 points in the final 20 minutes, adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists. His late-game heroics helped Duke maintain their perfect ACC record and improve to 19-1 on the season.
NC State, which led by as many as 13 in the first half, couldn’t keep pace down the stretch. Dontrez Styles and Huntley-Hatfield contributed solid performances but were ultimately overshadowed by Duke’s late surge.
The unusual incident will undoubtedly be remembered, but it’s Flagg’s dominant second half and Duke’s resilience that left the lasting impression. The Blue Devils remain on track as one of the favorites in the ACC, while NC State will look to regroup after a missed opportunity.
