Duke and UConn survive scares while Wolverines and Vols roll. Here’s what to know as teams punch tickets to the Elite 8

Duke forward Cameron Boozer shoots over St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins during their Sweet Sixteen game on Friday. – Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

Both NCAA tournaments are in full swing on Friday as Sweet 16 action heats up, with the men’s bracket finishing up the round with four games and the women’s tourney showcasing four games as well.

Here’s a look at who triumphed so far on Friday and moved one step closer to the Final Four:

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Duke squeaks past St. John’s

The ACC and Big East champions clashed as No. 1 overall seeded Duke Blue Devils faced off against No. 5 seed St. John’s Red Storm in Washington, D.C. Hoops fans were treated to a thrilling first half in the nation’s capital as the two conference champs traded haymakers in Friday’s opener.

Duke jumped out to an early lead, but St. John’s battled back to take the advantage behind swarming pressure defense. But foul trouble for two of the Johnnies biggest role players – Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins – gave Duke an opening.

Duke’s Dame Sarr dunks during the first half against St. John’s. – Stephanie Scarbrough/AP

The Blue Devils took advantage, thanks in large part to their twin freshmen stars Cameron and Cayden Boozer, who combined for 16 first-half points. Isaiah Evans added nine points for Duke in the first half.

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But St. John’s surged back to take a 40-39 lead into halftime thanks to red-hot shooting from 3-point land. The Red Storm was 9-for-18 shooting from long-range in the opening half, including 3-of-3 from Ruben Prey coming off the bench.

St. John’s, which was appearing in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999, came out of the locker room hot, sprinting to a 10-point lead. But Duke once again had an answer and fought back to retake the lead as the clock ticked inside 10 minutes.

Neither team showed any sign of wilting as the Blue Devils and Red Storm traded buckets coming down the stretch.

But Duke began to assert its superiority in the closing minutes, thanks in large…

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Publish date : 2026-03-28 05:25:00

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