Haines’ own Will Egolf slammed two dunks on Duke for a national television audience Wednesday that included an enthusiastic crowd at the Pioneer Bar.
Egolf, 21, is a junior for the Bradley University Braves of Peoria, Ill. The son of Dan and JoAnna Egolf started his basketball career in Haines and went on to play for Juneau-Douglas High School.
Wednesday night, Egolf was in North Carolina to face the top-ranked Duke University Blue Devils in a game televised by ESPN2. The Braves trailed 32-18 at halftime, but the hosts eventually pulled away for an 83-48 win.
Egolf dunked in each half and tallied 11 points in 31 minutes. He also grabbed five rebounds.
Family members watched the game from Bradley’s home in Illinois.
Fans at the Pioneer were impressed with Egolf’s performance against Duke, the defending national champions.
“He’s the only player on the Bradley team that has taken some sort of accountability on offense,” Jason Shull said.
Announcers introduced Egolf as a graduate of the same high school that produced NBA star Carlos Boozer, who played for the Blue Devils.
Egolf did not appear intimidated by Duke’s famed Cameron Crazies cheering section, and he tallied nine points in the opening half.
“They’re not giving Will the ball enough,” Stuart DeWitt said.
Pioneer onlookers roared when an Egolf one-handed slam earned a replay.
Bartender Kevin Thompson sported a Bradley sweatshirt and said he was proud to see “a local kid on TV.”
“I’ve known the kid since he was growing up,” Thompson said. “All of us in the bar have.”