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Duke Secures 71-65 Victory Over Siena in NCAA Tournament Opener

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Duke Rallies Past Siena in NCAA Tournament First Round, Advances to Face TCU

The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils defeated the No. 16 seed Siena Saints 71-65 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Duke rallied from a 13-point deficit, taking the lead permanently in the final five minutes of the game. The victory advances Duke to the second round, where they are scheduled to face TCU.

Game Summary

Siena maintained a lead for much of the game, including a 43-32 advantage in the first half and a 61-56 lead with 7:53 remaining in the second half. Duke trailed Siena from the 15:31 mark of the first half until Isaiah Evans scored a driving basket, putting Duke ahead 63-61 with 4:25 remaining. This marked Duke's first lead since the opening minutes of the contest.

Following Siena's 61-56 lead, Duke responded with an 11-0 scoring run, concluding the game with a 15-4 scoring run. Siena experienced a scoring drought of nearly seven minutes during this pivotal period, missing eight consecutive shot attempts.

Duke rallied from a 13-point deficit, taking the lead permanently in the final five minutes of the game, ultimately concluding the contest with a decisive 15-4 scoring run.

Key Performances

Duke:

  • Cameron Boozer led Duke with 22 points and 13 rebounds. He converted 13 of 14 free-throw attempts and made four free throws in the final 20 seconds.
  • Cayden Boozer contributed 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
  • Isaiah Evans scored the go-ahead basket and converted four free throws in the final 20 seconds.

Siena:

  • Gavin Doty scored 21 points, including a three-pointer that gave Siena its 61-56 lead.
  • Francis Folefac added 18 points and seven rebounds.
  • Brendan Coyle contributed 12 points, all from four three-pointers.

Team Statistics and Dynamics

Duke shot 40.7% from the field and 5 of 26 from three-point range for the game. Siena's shooting performance declined sharply in the second half, converting just 8 of 34 field goal attempts (23.5%) after making 17 of 31 in the first half.

Duke secured a dominant 30-13 rebounding advantage in the second half, which included 12 offensive rebounds that generated 15 second-chance points. By halftime, Duke had been outrebounded and outscored in the paint.

Rosters and Injuries

Duke played its fifth consecutive game without starting big man Patrick Ngongba II due to right foot soreness. Siena utilized a lineup primarily consisting of five players for most of the game, with four players logging the entire 40 minutes. Christian Jones entered the game in the final seconds, marking Siena's only substitution.

Coaching and Player Remarks

Duke coach Jon Scheyer acknowledged Siena's competitive readiness and effective execution, stating that Siena coach Gerry McNamara's coaching performance made it "one of the hardest moments" for him. Coach McNamara expressed pride in his team's performance, indicating they "played well enough to win." Duke player Cameron Boozer commented that the team "didn’t come out ready to play."

Historical Context

Historically, No. 1 seeds hold a dominant 158-2 record against No. 16 seeds in the NCAA Men's Tournament. The two previous instances of a No. 16 seed defeating a No. 1 seed occurred in 2018 and 2023.

Upcoming Matchup

Duke, whose season record improved to 33-2, will advance to play No. 9 TCU in the round of 32. TCU secured its spot by defeating No. 8 Ohio State. This will be the first meeting between the Duke and TCU programs.