Maintaining their March success under head coach Jon Scheyer, the Duke Blue Devils prevailed 80-75 against the St. John's Red Storm in the Sweet 16 on Friday night, breaking through to the Elite Eight for a third straight year. Duke improved to 35-2 for the season, pushing its winning streak to 14 games and setting a new program record with 70 victories over two years.
Scheyer's achievement places him in rare historical company. He became just the third coach in the last 60 years to reach three Elite Eights before turning 40, joining Dean Smith and Bob Knight.
The No. 1 overall seed Duke found itself down 40-39 at halftime after St. John's shot 9-for-18 from three-point range in the first half. The Red Storm later built a 10-point second-half lead, thanks to a 13-0 run and strong perimeter shooting, including four made threes by Ruben Prey.
The Blue Devils responded behind their core trio. Isaiah Evans scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Cameron Boozer recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, helping Duke outmuscle St. John's 40-27 on the glass. Caleb Foster, returning from a foot injury for his first game since March 7, scored all 11 of his points in the second half and contributed three rebounds and two assists.
After falling behind 55-45, the Blue Devils regained control through defensive adjustments and efficient scoring. A personal 5-0 run from Evans gave Duke a 63-62 lead. In the dying moment, Evans and Boozer made every shot count at the line, turning a nail-biter into a five-point win with 1.5 seconds to spare.
The Blue Devils advance to face the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
