Duke Survives St. John's, Advances to East Regional Final

0:00It's March 28th. This is Durham News Today. Your AI-powered local news. Top-seated Duke punched their ticket to the East Regional Final with an 80-75 win over St. John's in the Sweet 16 on Friday. March 27th, 2026 at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. The boo devils, now 35-and-two, survived a gritty battle full of big shots and tough defense to move on. The game stayed tight throughout, with St. John's hitting nine three-pointers in the first half to trail just 39-40 at the break. Duke switched to a 3-2 zone in the second half that sparked a comeback, while both teams traded leads late. Fans saw a physical matchup with players battling through screens and in the paint. Duke got key contributions from their bench, including Caleb Foster, who returned strong after missing time with a foot injury since early March. Durham boozer bounced back for 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Isaiah Evans led with 25 points, including clutch free throws down, the stretch.

1:02St. John's fought hard, but couldn't convert on late chances. Duke now waits for the winner of Saturday's Michigan State vs. Connecticut game, setting up a Sunday showdown for a spot in the final four.