Isaiah Evans' 'special' performance the difference for Duke in gritty Sweet 16 win over St. John's

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Facing a relentless St. John’s team, Duke needed a player to match the fortitude of a Rick Pitino-led squad. Isaiah Evans answered the call.

The sophomore was the engine that made the Blue Devils' offense go during critical stretches of an 80-75 win over the Red Storm on Friday night, scoring 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, including four 3-pointers.

Evans won in all phases. A career 38% 3-point shooter, he was more than comfortable from long range but drove to the basket often early in the night and was active on the defensive end in a game that predictably became more of a war because of its physicality.

Evans strolls through the lane for the slam 💨#MarchMadness @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/6Dgxd6ZXYI

"He was special since the first play," guard Darren Harris told Sporting News after the win. "He's built for these moments and he showed it tonight."

Patrick Ngongba II, who fought through injury to contribute off the bench, only had one word when told Evans finished the night with 25 points: "Damn."

"I feel like when the level of the game picks up he really matches that level," Ngongba said. Evans entered the Sweet 16 averaging 16.5 points per game over Duke's first two NCAA Tournament contests, with a 10-rebound performance in the first round. 

MORE: Why Jon Scheyer got emotional after Duke's win vs. St. John's

Evans didn't feel pressure to be a pure shooter in the win. He said after the game that driving to the basket was what got him into a rhythm against a St. John's defense that stifled Kansas just a few days earlier.

"When I got those three layups, I just got hot, had my way a little bit," he told reporters, adding, "I get buckets."

Whether Duke's offense has enough in the tank to win a national championship with Foster and Ngongba playing at less than 100 percent is still a mystery. Without a glamorous performance from Evans on Friday night, the Blue Devils' season very well could have ended.

Thanks to Evans' March moment, the chance to play in April is upon Duke again.