It has been a while since Duke has played a close game. But if the Blue Devils are going to navigate the Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba injuries and make a run at the national championship, they're going to have to face adversity and overcome tense moments.
Ngongba should be back next week for the NCAA Tournament, but Foster is likely out until the Final Four at best. Not having Ngongba to anchor the defensive effort was a big problem against Florida State on Thursday night, and not having Foster to break down defenses off the dribble will be a big problem moving forward.
But Duke found a way to win in Charlotte, escaping with an 80-79 win over Florida State to advance to the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Sometimes you just have to find a way. That's exactly what Duke did, overcoming an eight point second half defecit thanks to big nights from Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer.
Jon Scheyer was proud of his team's fight through the adversity:
“It was a different game for us," Scheyer said. "We had lineups we hadn’t used all season. We had situations we hadn’t seen all season — down eight (second half). The character our guys showed in that moment was big-time. Proud of this win. Now a quick turnaround.”
Jon Scheyer is 'proud' of Duke in the aftermath of a close win over Florida State
Evans and Boozer combined for 55 of Duke's 80 points, shouldering a massive offensive burden that will likely have to continue if the Blue Devils want to win the ACC Tournament. No other player finished in double figures scoring, though Maliq Brown's eight offensive rebounds were critical in producing second-chance points.
Evans hit 7-of-16 from three, almost single-handedly doing the damage for Duke beyond-the-arc. The rest of the team was just 3-of-18 from three.
Duke will need more on offense from the rest of the team - and a more concerted effort on the defensive end - to have a chance in Charlotte. But that's not nearly as important as getting healthy in time for next week when it matters most.