CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tyrese Proctor scored 19 points on six 3-pointers, Kon Knueppel added 18 points and No. 1 Duke defeated 13th-ranked Louisville 73-62 on Saturday night to clinch its second Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in three seasons under Jon Scheyer.
It was Duke’s 23rd ACC title overall — the most of any team in conference history — and five more than rival North Carolina, who the Blue Devils knocked off 74-71 in a semifinal thriller.
Sion James added 15 points for Duke (31-3), which played its final two tournament games without ACC player of the year Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown due to injuries.
Terrence Edwards Jr. scored 29 points on five 3s for Louisville (27-7), which was playing in its first ACC final since joining the league in 2014. The Cardinals went 18-2 in the conference play during the regular season under first-year head coach Pat Kelsey after going 5-37 vs. ACC foes in the previous two seasons.
There were nine lead changes and neither team led by more than five before Duke broke the game open with a 12-0 run midway through the second half behind a 3 from Proctor in transition to build a 57-47 lead.
Louisville: Hepburn has been the team’s offensive catalyst this season, but Edwards’ recent play gives the Cardinals the needed scoring punch that could takes them deep into the NCAA Tournament. Edwards has averaged 24.8 points over the last six games.
Duke: The Blue Devils defense in the tournament was outstanding. They held Louisville to 9-of-35 shooting in the second half to pull away.
Patrick Ngongba II’s spinning drive along the baseline and two free throws on the ensuing drive gave Duke a 13-point lead with less than five minutes to play.
Proctor entered the game 6 of 29 from beyond the arc over his last seven games, including 0 for 10 in the tournament.
Both teams await their seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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