Duke Survives TCU Scare to Advance in March Madness

Top-seeded Blue Devils hold off scrappy Horned Frogs in second-round matchup

Mar. 21, 2026 at 2:05pm

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The top-seeded Duke Blue Devils narrowly avoided an upset bid from the No. 9 seed TCU Horned Frogs, holding on for a 78-72 victory in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. Duke, which had struggled to put away No. 16 seed Siena in the opening round, was once again tested by a determined TCU squad before pulling away late.

Why it matters

Duke's close call against TCU raises questions about the Blue Devils' vulnerability heading into the Sweet 16, as the team continues to rely heavily on the Boozer brothers to carry the load. Meanwhile, TCU's gritty performance shows the program is making strides and could be a force to be reckoned with in future tournaments.

The details

The Horned Frogs led for much of the first half and kept the game close throughout, thanks to strong efforts from David Punch, Xavier Edmonds and Micah Robinson in trying to contain Duke's Cameron Boozer. TCU's 3-point shooting kept them in the game, but ultimately the Blue Devils' size and experience proved too much down the stretch.

  • The game was played on Saturday, March 22, 2026 at 3:15 p.m. ET.
  • Duke had defeated No. 16 Siena in the first round on Thursday, March 20, 2026.

The players

Cameron Boozer

Duke's star freshman forward who led the team in scoring and rebounding against TCU.

David Punch

TCU's senior guard who helped lead the Horned Frogs' upset bid with his tenacious defense on Boozer.

Jon Scheyer

Duke's head coach who guided the Blue Devils to another Sweet 16 appearance despite the close call against TCU.

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What they’re saying

“We knew TCU was going to be a tough out, but our guys really stepped up when it counted most. Cameron made some big plays down the stretch to help us pull this one out.”

— Jon Scheyer, Duke Head Coach

“I'm proud of the way our team competed today against one of the best programs in the country. We had our chances, but Duke's size and experience ultimately wore us down in the end.”

— Jamie Dixon, TCU Head Coach

What’s next

Duke will face the winner of the Gonzaga-Arkansas matchup in the Sweet 16 next weekend.

The takeaway

Duke's narrow escape against TCU serves as a wake-up call for the Blue Devils, who will need to shore up their defense and secondary scoring options if they hope to make a deep run in this year's NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, TCU's gutsy performance shows the program is on the rise and could be a force to be reckoned with in future March Madness events.