Cooper Flagg Leads Duke to Boston in High-Stakes Basketball Showdown

BOSTON — Maine native and basketball phenom Cooper Flagg returned to New England on Saturday as No. 3 Duke faced Boston College in a highly anticipated matchup at Conte Forum. The sold-out game, which tipped off at 8 p.m. and aired on ESPN, drew unprecedented attention and ticket prices, with fans eager to watch the 18-year-old freshman sensation in action.

Flagg, who recently turned 18, has been a standout for the Blue Devils this season, averaging 18.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. Last week, he set an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshman scoring record with a 42-point performance against Notre Dame. “I was just out there playing,” Flagg said after the game. “When I’m in the game, I don’t really know what’s going on. I’m just playing locked in.”

The game against Boston College marked Duke’s closest trip to Flagg’s home state of Maine this season, and the excitement was palpable. Media relations officials for Boston College reported that the game had the highest number of media credential requests in years. According to Victory Live, a ticketing technology company, the average ticket price for the game was $268, a 45% increase compared to Duke’s average road game ticket price of $184 this season. The demand even surpassed that of Boston Celtics home games, which have an average ticket price of $220.

Flagg’s rise to stardom has been meteoric. After leading Nokomis Regional High School in Maine to a state basketball title two years ago, he moved to North Carolina to finish high school and prepare for college basketball. Now at Duke, he is projected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Despite his growing fame, Flagg remains grounded and connected to his roots. “I think it’s really important just to give back to the community that we came from,” he said during a recent basketball camp for kids in Orono, Maine. “I grew up in this area, and I’ve been here before. I’ve seen games. So, to hold something like this here, especially, is special.”

The Blue Devils entered the game with a 15-2 record and an 11-game winning streak, making them one of the top teams in college basketball. Boston College, meanwhile, aimed to capitalize on the home-court advantage and disrupt Duke’s momentum. Maine’s Total Coverage sports anchor Travis Lee was on-site to cover the game, which promised to be a highlight of the college basketball season.