No. 1 Duke survives scare from 16-seed Siena, rallies for 71-65 win

Blue Devils overcome 13-point deficit to advance in March Madness

Mar. 20, 2026 at 4:55am

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The No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils narrowly avoided a historic upset, rallying from a 13-point deficit to defeat 16-seed Siena 71-65 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Duke's Cameron Boozer had 22 points and 13 rebounds, but the Blue Devils struggled for much of the game against the fearless Saints, who led for most of the contest before Duke took control in the final minutes.

Why it matters

Duke's close call against a heavy underdog highlights the unpredictability of March Madness, where even the top teams can be pushed to the brink by determined underdogs. The game also showcased the coaching acumen of Siena's Gerry McNamara, who had his team prepared to challenge the Blue Devils throughout.

The details

Duke hit its first four shots but then went cold, allowing Siena to build a 43-32 halftime lead. The Saints, led by Gavin Doty's 21 points, maintained their advantage for much of the second half before Duke finally took control with an 11-0 run in the final minutes. The Blue Devils' second-half dominance on the glass, including 12 offensive rebounds, helped them overcome 40.7% shooting for the game.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 19, 2026 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The players

Cameron Boozer

Duke's leading scorer with 22 points and 13 rebounds.

Gavin Doty

Siena's leading scorer with 21 points.

Jon Scheyer

Duke's head coach, who acknowledged being outcoached by Siena's Gerry McNamara.

Gerry McNamara

Siena's head coach, who had his team prepared to challenge the heavily favored Blue Devils.

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What they’re saying

“A tournament's all about your competitive readiness, and Siena had that as well as any team we've gone against.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke head coach

“I'm just really proud. I'm devastated for them because we were fearless... I'm crushed for them because they played well enough to win.”

— Gerry McNamara, Siena head coach

“Obviously we poured our heart out, but close doesn't count for much.”

— Brendan Coyle, Siena player

What’s next

Duke will face TCU in the second round on Saturday, March 21, 2026.

The takeaway

Duke's close call against Siena is a reminder that even the top teams in the NCAA Tournament can be vulnerable to determined underdogs, underscoring the unpredictability and excitement of March Madness.