Isiah Evans talks about Caleb Foster’s message to support Duke’s return
Isaiah Evans talked about how Caleb Foster’s message energized Duke and sparked its comeback against St. John’s in the Sweet 16.
WASHINGTON – Duke made it to the Elite Eight, but it wasn’t easy. The Blue Devils trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, but Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans made big contributions to the 80-75 victory.
Foster, who returned from a three-week sideline with a broken foot, scored all 11 points in the second half, including two key baskets in the final minutes. Evans led all scorers with 25 points. His 3-pointer with 3:54 remaining gave the Blue Devils the lead for good. But Duke missed a few free throws and could have stopped the game.
In the loss, St. John’s showed grit and effort, but with 2.1 seconds remaining, Dylan Darling’s 3-point shot was missed, and they fell just short of tying the score. The Red Storm made 13 shots from behind the arc, with Ruben Prey converting all four. Zuby Ejiofor led St. John’s with 17 points. Duke will play the winner of either Connecticut State or Michigan State on Sunday.
Duke vs St. John’s Live Score
| team | 1H | 2nd hour | F |
| st john’s | 40 | 35 | 75 |
| duke | 39 | 41 | 80 |
After the teams traded leads, Isaiah Evans, the game’s leading scorer with 24 points, hit a long 3 to put Duke back in the lead. Cameron Boozer then made a driving basket while drawing a foul. Duke leads 72-69 with 3:06 left heading into the final television timeout. After play resumes, Boozer shoots one free throw.
Duke found its footing after falling behind by 10 points in the second half. Isaiah Evans, who leads all scorers with 21 points, was a catalyst with a variety of shots from three, mid-range, and around the basket. St. John’s stayed in the game by making 12 of 26 shots from behind the arc. Bryce Hopkins’ latest goal ended Duke’s run, and Evans tied it at 65 with 6 minutes, 23 seconds left.
The Blue Devils trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, but point guard Caleb Foster led Duke with seven straight points. Foster, who was out for three weeks before returning tonight, took three short shots toward the basket, but was fouled on another. He then made 1 of 2 free throws. Cameron Boozer’s driving layup narrowed the lead to 57-54 with 11:46 left in the second half.
Ruben Play became an unexpected star for St. John’s as the Red Storm took control in the second half against Duke. St. John’s took a 53-44 lead with 15:26 remaining when Play hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Zuby Ejiofor, the team’s leading scorer with 13 points, contributed greatly to the Blue Devils’ 13-0 run.
Duke University scored the first five points of the second half with Cameron Boozer’s post-up and Isaiah Evans’ transition 3-pointer, taking a four-point lead. St. John’s quickly fought back with the next eight points, with the defense causing turnovers leading to two fast-break baskets. Zuby Ejiofor’s dunk led to a goal, giving the Red Storm a 48-44 lead with 17:06 remaining. Duke called a timeout to settle the matter.
Duke slowly took control of the Sweet 16 game against St. John’s, but a late surge by the Red Storm gave them a 40-39 advantage at halftime. The Blue Devils found success by driving to the basket and drawing fouls, increasing their lead to seven points late in the first half. However, St. John’s continued to play and eventually took the lead with some hot shooting. The Red Storm shot just 33.2 percent from 3-point range as a team, but made nine of their 18 attempts in the first half, with six different players making shots. Duke’s Isaiah Evans led all scorers with 11 points. Dillon Mitchell and Ruben Play had nine points for St. John’s.
A lull midway through the first half quickly dissipated, with Duke getting into the lane consistently against St. John’s defense. Cameron Boozer’s 3-point play and two more free throws were part of a 12-2 run that gave the Blue Devils a 35-28 lead with 3:26 left in the first half. It’s another negative development for St. John’s. Starting forward Bryce Hopkins went to the bench after his second foul after the whistle blew in the second half after Nicolas Khamenia’s shot missed the bottom of the basket.
Duke tied the game after a six-man trial with Dame Searle’s highlight dunk and a 6-0 run. However, on the ensuing possession, Dillon Mitchell made a 3-pointer and St. John’s regained the lead at 26-23. Mitchell led all scorers with nine points. Blue Devils’ Isaiah Evans had eight points.
Duke’s size has been an issue for the team all season, but the Blue Devils have struggled to deal with St. John’s athleticism. The Red Storm’s defensive pressure led to numerous turnovers and they overwhelmed Duke with their aggressiveness on loose balls. St. John’s took a 23-17 lead midway through the first half on a 3-pointer by Bryce Hopkins.
The Red Storm took a 19-5 lead with 11:51 remaining. They had a good record of 15 wins and 4 losses, and their hot shots also helped. St. John’s made 7 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 5 from the 3-point line. Dillon Mitchell led all scorers with six points. Duke struggled from the start with the Red Storm’s press, which caused some problems on offense after a strong start.
Duke holds a slim 13-11 advantage early on. The Blue Devils got off to a quick start, leading by seven points five minutes into the game. However, Dylan Darling’s 3-point shot and Dillon Mitchell’s steal and basketball quickly cut the gap to five points. Caleb Foster played in the Duke game after missing three weeks with a broken foot. He immediately made an impact with an alley pass to Patrick Ngomba for a dunk.
Balanced scoring is the order of business for Duke, with the first four baskets coming from a variety of sources. The Blue Devils held an 11-4 lead on a 3-pointer by Kayden Boozer. Dillon Mitchell scored the first four points for St. John’s, followed by the second off a great inside pass from Zuby Ejiofor.
There is some good news for the Blue Devils ahead of their Sweet 16 matchup. Starting guard Caleb Foster has been sidelined since breaking a bone in his foot on March 7, but is expected to play. Foster warmed up with other Duke players before tipoff and returned to practice this week. Caden Boozer played a sufficient role during his absence and remains in the starting lineup.
What time is the St. John’s vs. Duke game?
- time: Friday, March 27th, 7:15pm ET.
Which channel is St. John’s vs. Duke? How to watch and distribution information
- The game will be broadcast on CBS and streamed via Paramount+.
Duke vs. St. John’s predictions, odds
Odds are provided by BetMGM.
∎ Anna Snyder, Fayetteville Warden: Duke 68, St. John’s 65
Expect a defensive battle in Washington, D.C. Duke’s defense and Cameron Boozer’s star power should be enough for the Blue Devils to hold off Zubby Ejiofor and the Red Storm.
- Blake Topmeyer: duke
- Paul Meyerberg: st john’s
- Jordan Mendoza: duke
- John Bryce: duke
- Matt Grenescu: st john’s
- Craig Meyer: duke
- John Luzzi: duke
- Austin Cartwright: duke
- Ethan Kasim: duke
- Money line: Duke (-285); St. John’s (+230)
- Spread: Duke (-6.5)
- Total over/under: 140.5
Caleb Foster injury update: Will Duke guard play today against St. John’s?
Will Duke have its point guard back for Friday’s Sweet 16 game against St. John’s?
Blue Devils coach John Scheyer told reporters during Thursday’s media availability that Caleb Foster will be the caller for game time when the Blue Devils tip off against the fifth-seeded Red Storm on Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
“He’s in a position to try it tomorrow night,” Scheyer told reporters. “…He’s going to give it his all tomorrow night.”
Foster has been sidelined since March 7 after sustaining a leg injury in the final regular-season game against North Carolina.
Rick Pitino NCAA Tournament History: When was the last time Rick Pitino played in the Sweet 16?
Rick Pitino has played in the Sweet 16 14 times. His last trip to the Sweet 16 before this season was against Louisville in 2014-15.
What was Rick Pitino’s performance in the Sweet 16?
The St. John’s coach has an impressive 12-1 record in the Sweet 16. His only losses came in 2014 against Louisville and Kentucky.
Cameron Boozer’s NBA draft stock, mock draft predictions
Boozer is widely expected to be a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look at how different mock drafts from major media outlets stack up for the Duke freshman.
Is Cameron Boozer related to Carlos Boozer?
Cameron Boozer and his twin brother Caden, also a freshman at Duke, are the sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.
Prior to his 13-year NBA career, Carlos Boozer was a standout forward for the Blue Devils under coach Mike Krzyzewski from 1999 to 2002. A member of Duke University’s 2001 National Championship team, Carlos Boozer finished his three-year career with the Blue Devils with over 1,500 points and started 93 of the 101 games he played in.
Rick Pitino vs. Duke history: Christian Laettner’s shot
On the eve of the next game against Duke, Pitino was still coaching Kentucky in 1992, with memories still fresh of when Christian Laettner hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to defeat Kentucky and push Duke into the Final Four.
The flashbacks still seem to irritate him. “I’m tired of those commercials where Christian Laettner takes shots over and over again,” he said Sunday.
He said friends recently convinced him to watch the Hulu show “Paradise,” and he noticed that Laettner’s shot was mentioned in it.
“That’s cruel,” Pitino said.
He got his own buzzer beater from Darling Sunday. Now we’re heading to Duke in Washington, DC.
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” Pitino said. “And then hopefully we can get Duke at the buzzer next time and make up for Christian Laettner’s shot.”
