Washington, DC — Caleb Foster wasn’t supposed to be back yet. Instead, he ended up saving Duke’s season.
Less than three weeks removed from foot surgery, Foster delivered a gutsy second-half performance to spark a comeback, helping top-seeded Duke rally past St. John’s 80-75 on Friday night to reach the Elite Eight.
Foster scored all 11 of his points after halftime, entering at a critical moment when Duke’s offense was unraveling. With turnovers piling up and St. John’s building momentum, his steady play helped flip control back to the Blue Devils.
“Honestly, most guys wouldn’t even be out there right now,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “What he did took incredible will.”
Duke (35-2) extended its winning streak to 14 games, but not without a fight from the fifth-seeded Red Storm (30-7), who led by as many as 10 in the second half and pushed the game to the final seconds.
Isaiah Evans led the Dukies with 25 points, while Cameron Boozer chipped in 22 points and 10 boards in a physical, back-and-forth battle.
St. John’s had one last chance late. Trailing 78-75, Dylan Darling — fresh off his game-winning moment in the previous round — launched a deep three that missed badly. Boozer sealed the win with two free throws in the closing seconds.
The loss marked just the second Sweet 16 defeat in 14 appearances for St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, and only the team’s second loss in its last 23 games.
For long stretches, it looked like the Red Storm would pull it off.
After a tight first half, St. John’s surged early in the second behind relentless pressure defense. A series of Duke turnovers turned into easy points, including back-to-back dunks by Zuby Ejiofor. When Ruben Prey drilled his fourth three-pointer without a miss, the Red Storm suddenly held a 53-44 lead.
Duke’s offense, rattled by St. John’s physicality, needed a reset.
That’s when Foster checked in.
Replacing Cayden Boozer, who had struggled to handle the pressure, Foster helped calm the Blue Devils. Duke also shifted into a zone defensively, slowing St. John’s attack and gradually chipping away at the deficit.
Evans ignited the comeback with a go-ahead three-pointer to make it 63-62, but the game quickly turned into a shootout. Big shots followed on both sides, with Bryce Hopkins answering from deep for St. John’s before Evans tied it again with a tough finish.
From there, Duke began to take control.
A putback dunk by Dillon Mitchell briefly gave St. John’s the lead, but Evans responded with another clutch three. Moments later, Cameron Boozer converted a difficult and-one layup to put Duke ahead for good.
Foster delivered the finishing blows.
His pull-up jumper extended the lead, and after Ejiofor hit a three to keep St. John’s close, Foster drove to the basket for a layup that made it 77-72 with under a minute to play.
Duke held on from there.
“They’re one of the most physical teams we’ve faced all year,” Boozer said. “We had some rough stretches, but we stayed composed when it mattered.”
St. John’s had been red-hot from deep early, hitting nine three-pointers in the first half after struggling from long range in the previous round. Even unlikely contributors got involved, including Prey, who was perfect from beyond the arc, and Mitchell, who entered the game without a made three all season.
But the Red Storm couldn’t maintain that level — and couldn’t match Duke’s late execution.
“It came down to defense,” Pitino said. “We just couldn’t keep them out of the lane. They’re physical, and they made us pay.”
Now Duke moves on to face either UConn or Michigan State in the East Region final, one win away from the Final Four.
And thanks to an unlikely boost from a player who wasn’t expected back so soon, the Blue Devils are still chasing a championship.
