Cam Boozer, Duke Beat SJU, Updated Path to March Madness Final Four as Fans Sound Off on Close Win

Isaiah Evans scored 25 points and Cameron Boozer added 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils to an 80-75 win over No. 5 St. John's in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Friday in Washington, D.C.

Evans hit a massive stepback three with 3:54 left that gave Duke the lead for good at 70-69.

After Duke made a defensive stop, Boozer converted a three-point play after hitting an 11-footer for a 73-69 edge.

Caleb Foster, who returned to the court after suffering a broken right foot on March 7, then got hot for the Blue Devils, hitting back-to-back two-pointers sandwiched around a three from St. John's star Zuby Ejiofor.

That gave Duke a 77-72 edge with 1:27 left, but this game wasn't over. St. John's hung around and even had the ball down 78-75 with 11 seconds left. However, Dylan Darling, who hit the game-winning, buzzer-beating layup to beat Kansas in the second round, attempted a game-tying three-pointer that fell short.

Boozer hit two more free throws to seal the game with a couple seconds remaining.

Evans was the game's unsung hero, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot en route to making 10-of-15 field goals (4-of-8 from three) overall. His stepback three with just under four minutes left arguably stands as the shot of the game, as it wrested momentum away from St. John's after the Red Storm got a putback dunk from Dillon Mitchell to cap a four-point possession for a 69-67 lead.

Boozer led a great night on the glass, where Duke out-rebounded St. John's 40-27. Boozer also made 8-of-9 free throws.

St. John's ultimately posted a great effort and nearly pulled off the upset. The Red Storm held a 55-45 lead with just under 15 minutes in the game and could have gotten it done. Ejiofor, the Big East Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Bryce Hopkins (15 points) and Mitchell (13 points) each shot 6-of-7 from the field. Ruben Prey made 4-of-4 threes off the bench for 12.

In the end, though, Evans and Boozer propelled Duke to the win, sprinkled in with a gutsy effort from the returning Foster (11 points in 19 minutes off the bench).

Fans and analysts praised Evans, Boozer and Foster's evenings.

Duke now advances to the Elite Eight on Sunday and will face No. 2 seed UConn.