Duke Survives Upset Bid from Siena in NCAA Tournament

The Duke Blue Devils managed to dodge historical embarrassment in the NCAA Tournament. They faced a tight challenge from the No. 16 Siena Saints but ultimately pulled through with a 71-65 victory in the opening round.

Historically, it’s rare for a 16th-seeded team to knock out a top seed in the first round—only twice before has this happened: UMBC upsetting Virginia in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson toppling Purdue in 2023.

Siena actually looked poised to pull off the shocker, taking a surprising 43-32 lead at halftime. However, in the second half, Duke turned the tide and managed to regain control of the game, avoiding an unexpected early exit.

Interestingly, Siena relied on just five starting players throughout the game, but they were outscored 39-22 after halftime. This might have taken a toll, as their players seemed to struggle with energy as the game progressed.

Still, the Saints fought back against Duke’s attempts to pull ahead. With just over four minutes left, Isiah Evans hit a layup that gave Duke a 63-61 lead—their first of the game since the first half.

In the closing moments, Duke tightened its defense to hold onto the lead. Siena managed to cut the deficit to four points, but a missed 3-pointer by Gavin Doty with 28 seconds left sealed their hard-fought defeat.

Doty, who led Siena with 21 points, made only 3 of 12 attempts from beyond the arc, adding four rebounds and two assists. His teammates, Francis Forefak and Brendan Coyle, contributed 18 and 12 points respectively, keeping the pressure on Duke throughout.

In stark contrast, Duke struggled with long-range shots, making just two of their 15 attempts in the first half. Although they didn’t find success from beyond the arc after halftime either, better shot selection near the basket helped them bounce back. Notably, Cam Boozer, among the key players, scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, showcasing a solid performance as the Blue Devils secured their victory.

Kayden Boozer also made significant contributions, adding 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while Evans recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

As a result, the Blue Devils will now face off against No. 9 TCU in the second round, setting the stage for another exciting matchup on Saturday.