Wild Stat Proves Duke Ready To Win It All

The Blue Devils have battled adversity time and time again.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm guard Joson Sanon (3) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The 1-seed Duke Blue Devils emerged victorious in a thriller with 5-seed St. John's in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. The Blue Devils were able to rally late and walk away with an 80-75 victory, cementing the program's third straight Elite Eight appearance under head coach Jon Scheyer.

Duke was in a close one the entirety of the way and was on the ropes for a good bit in the second half. Nonetheless, it absolutely deserved to win the game.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer yells down court Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Red Storm punched the Blue Devils in the face early, but Duke matched it and played stellar defense the entire way. The Johnnies, who rank 197th nationally at KenPom in three-point shooting percentage, went 13-of-32 (41%) from beyond the arc compared to Duke's 5-of-14 (36%) clip.

St. John's big man Ruben Prey, who had hit 11 threes all season long heading into the Sweet 16, went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc against the Blue Devils.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Nonetheless, the Blue Devils showed grit, and this wild stat proves they are ready to cut down the nets in early April.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) dribbles the ball past Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Deficits Don't Knock the Blue Devils

Around the midway point of the second half, it started to genuinely feel like St. John's was pulling away and was about to upset the top overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. With 15 minutes to go, the Johnnies eclipsed an 11-1 run to take a 55-45 lead with about 15 minutes remaining.

Then, the Blue Devils fought back, generating stops and getting looks at the rim fueled by an inspiring performance from Caleb Foster.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Obviously, Duke was able to make the winning plays and come away with the victory. Now, Duke has trailed by 10 or more points in six games this season. It is 6-0 in those games.

Time and time again, the Blue Devils have battled back from adversity, which is what March is all about.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) dribbles the ball past St. John's Red Storm forward Dillon Mitchell (1) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Caleb Foster Was Fantastic

In a shocking turn of events, junior Caleb Foster suited up for the Sweet 16 bout despite undergoing foot surgery just three weeks prior. As he has been all season, Foster was the fuel the Blue Devils needed to seal a victory.

In 19 minutes off the bench, Foster went for 11 points, three boards, and two assists. He went on a 7-2 scoring run by himself to keep the Blue Devils afloat, and made every winning play possible despite practically playing on one foot.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

"That was one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen," Scheyer said of Foster after the victory.