The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils narrowly avoided becoming the latest victim of a historic NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament upset, rallying from a 13-point deficit to defeat No. 16 seed Siena Saints 71-65 in a tense East Region first-round matchup on Thursday.
For much of the afternoon inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena, it looked like the Saints might join the short list of giant killers in tournament history. Instead, Duke leaned on its size, rebounding, and late-game composure to escape and advance to the second round.
Freshman standout Cameron Boozer led the Blue Devils with 22 points and 13 rebounds, delivering when his team needed it most. But this was far from the dominant performance expected from a top overall seed.
Duke came out sharp, hitting its first four shots, but quickly lost rhythm as Siena imposed its will. The Saints, making their first tournament appearance since 2010, played with confidence and fearlessness, controlling the tempo and energizing a crowd eager for chaos.
Behind 21 points from Gavin Doty and clutch shooting from Brendan Coyle, Siena surged to a stunning 43-32 halftime lead. The Saints outworked Duke in the paint and on the boards early, leaving the Blue Devils visibly rattled.
The upset bid gained even more traction midway through the second half when Doty drilled his third three-pointer to give Siena a 61-56 lead with 7:53 remaining. At that point, Duke was on the brink of joining Virginia Cavaliers (2018) and Purdue Boilermakers (2023) as the only No. 1 seeds ever to fall to a 16 seed.
But the Blue Devils responded like a championship contender.
Duke flipped the game with an 11-0 run, fueled by defensive stops and dominance on the glass. Siena went ice-cold during that stretch, missing eight straight shots and going nearly seven minutes without scoring — a drought that ultimately proved decisive.
Isaiah Evans gave Duke its first lead since the opening minutes with a driving basket to make it 63-61. From there, Duke controlled the closing moments, with Evans and Boozer combining to hit eight free throws in the final 20 seconds to seal the win.
After struggling early, Duke asserted itself physically in the second half, finishing with a commanding 30-13 rebounding edge after halftime. The Blue Devils also turned 12 offensive rebounds into 15 crucial second-chance points, offsetting a poor shooting night that included just 5-of-26 from beyond the arc.
Siena, meanwhile, faded late, shooting just 23.5% in the second half (8-for-34) after its strong opening 20 minutes.
Despite the win, Duke’s shaky performance served as a reminder of the unpredictability of March Madness — where even the most decorated programs can find themselves on the brink. The Blue Devils, owners of five national titles, survived this time, but not without a scare that will linger.
With the victory, Duke advances to face TCU Horned Frogs in Saturday’s second round — hoping for a far less dramatic outing.
