Duke Edges St. John's in Sweet 16 Thriller

Blue Devils' Cameron Boozer shines as St. John's backcourt struggles

Mar. 28, 2026 at 7:52am

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In a closely contested Sweet 16 matchup, Duke University defeated St. John's University 80-75 on Friday night in Washington. Duke star Cameron Boozer led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while the St. John's backcourt quartet of Dylan Darling, Ian Jackson, Oziyah Sellers, and Joson Sanon combined for just 7-of-28 shooting. Despite being less than three weeks removed from foot surgery, Duke's Caleb Foster made a key impact off the bench with 11 second-half points.

Why it matters

This loss ends St. John's season after a strong run to the Sweet 16, while Duke advances to the Elite Eight as they continue their quest for a national championship. The game highlighted the importance of star power and backcourt play in the NCAA Tournament, as well as Duke's ability to overcome injuries and get key contributions from role players.

The details

Duke's Cameron Boozer took over in the second half, scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to victory. St. John's struggled to contain Boozer and the Duke offense, which shot 57.1% from the field in the second half. Meanwhile, the St. John's backcourt was largely ineffective, going a combined 7-of-28 from the field.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 27, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
  • Caleb Foster returned from a foot injury suffered less than three weeks prior to make an impact off the bench for Duke.

The players

Cameron Boozer

The likely consensus National Player of the Year, Boozer led Duke with 22 points and 10 rebounds, including a key three-point play down the stretch.

Caleb Foster

The Duke point guard made a surprising return from a foot injury to contribute 11 second-half points and provide steady leadership off the bench.

Dylan Darling

The St. John's guard struggled, going just 2-of-9 from the field as part of the team's ineffective backcourt performance.

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What they’re saying

“You can't have mistakes like that at this time of the year, and it cost us. It cost us the game. It cost us our season.”

— Dillon Mitchell

What’s next

Duke will advance to the Elite Eight, where they will face the winner of the matchup between Gonzaga and UCLA. St. John's season comes to an end after their Sweet 16 appearance.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the importance of star power and backcourt play in the NCAA Tournament. While St. John's had a strong season, they were ultimately undone by an ineffective performance from their backcourt against the talent and experience of Duke. The Blue Devils' ability to overcome injuries and get key contributions from role players like Caleb Foster also proved pivotal.