When all else fails, sometimes you need your star players to bail you out.
That's what Duke needed on Thursday night against Florida State. And that's exactly what Isaiah Evans did.
Playing without Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba, the Blue Devils looked out of sync and discombobulated for a large chunk of the night. But over and over again, Evans bailed the Blue Devils out on his way to a career-high 32 points.
Evans connected on 7-of-16 from three-point range. The rest of the team was just 3-of-18 from deep. Florida State's game plan was to pack the paint and take away Cameron Boozer, though the star freshman still finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. That strategy would have worked to perfection if it hadn't been for Evans' big night.
The sophomore wing had a simple message after the game that Duke fans will love:
"We didn't come here to play one game," Evans said.
Isaiah Evans put Duke on his back in ACC Tournament win over Florida State
More heroics will be needed from Evans and Boozer moving forward in Charlotte. The Blue Devils will face an even more difficult challenge on Friday against a Clemson team that ranks inside the KenPom Top 20 in defensive efficiency.
Duke will be without Ngongba and Foster for the remaining (hopefully) two games in the ACC Tournament. Ngongba should be back next week for the start of the NCAA Tournament, while Foster will not return until at least the Final Four if the Blue Devils are able to make a run without him.
Evans and Boozer combined for 35 of Duke's 67 points in the regular season matchup against Clemson, a 13-point win for the Blue Devils. But the Tigers' defense already made life tough for Duke in that meeting at Cameron Indoor, and without Foster and Ngongba, the task will be that much more difficult.
Duke won the game on the strength of its defense, and without its anchor in the middle, defending Clemson will be a much more challenging endeavor.