Duke’s Evans Provides Crucial Bounce-Back Game

The No. 4-ranked Duke Blue Devils (22-2, 11-1 ACC) bounced back from a soul-crushing loss at No. 11 North Carolina (19-5, 7-4 ACC) on Saturday night with a 70-54 road victory at Pittsburgh (9-16, 2-10 ACC) on Tuesday. Duke has now won eight of its 11 conference games by double digits.

It wasn’t the prettiest game for the Blue Devils on either side of the ball, but a late push put the contest out of reach for the Panthers to potentially steal one. Duke shot 55% from the field and 9-of-23 (39%) from the three-point line.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

This was an important get-right game for Jon Scheyer’s club following a brutal loss at the hands of the Tar Heels on Saturday. Duke remains at the top of the ACC standings, with Clemson (20-4, 10-1 ACC) following just behind.

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Three Blue Devils finished the bout in double-figure scoring, and the team got 13 points from its bench. Sophomore starting center Patrick Ngongba sat out against Pitt with an injury, and other bench pieces were able to pick up the slack.

However, sophomore sharpshooter Isaiah Evans provided a massive boost for the Blue Devils in the second half when Duke’s lead was a little too small for comfort, and it was a stellar performance he needed.

Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) defends in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Isaiah Evans Puts Together Crucial Bounce-Back Outing

Evans came into his sophomore year in Durham regarded as a top national breakout candidate, and although he’s shown flashes of stardom at times, he’s also been fairly inconsistent.

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The North Carolina native was elite to begin conference play, averaging 22.3 points per game on…

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Publish date : 2026-02-12 14:00:00

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