Duke Wins A Thriller Over St. John’s, Moves On To Elite Eight
Another epic between Duke and a Rick Pitino team
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Caleb Foster #1 of the Duke Blue Devils handles the ball in the second half against Dylan Darling #0 of the St. John's Red Storm of the St. John's Red Storm during the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images D uke and St. John’s put on a Sweet 16 classic, and while it was a bit ragged in spots, both teams played like champions. Only one could move on though, and it was Duke, as the Blue Devils prevailed, 80-75.
And it was anything but easy. Like any Rick Pitino team, St. John’s gets after you on defense, and they certainly got after Duke.
There were a couple of stretches where it looked like St. John’s might just press Duke right out of the gym, pressing after made baskets, but Duke steadied the ship, and a lot of it was due to the inspirational leadership of Caleb Foster. Out for three weeks after fracturing his foot against UNC in the regular season finale, Foster played for 19 minutes, shot 5-8, scored 11 points (all in the second half) and had no turnovers.