Top-seeded Duke overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 16 Siena 71-65 on Thursday in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.[1]
Siena led 43-32 at halftime behind 55% field goal shooting and 45% from three-point range. Duke made just 2 of 15 three-pointers in the first half but outscored the Saints 39-22 after the break, closing with strong interior play and free-throw shooting.
The Blue Devils, representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference, avoided becoming the third No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed in tournament history. The only prior instances were UMBC's 74-54 win over Virginia in 2018 and Fairleigh Dickinson's 63-58 victory against Purdue in 2023.[2][3]
Isaiah Evans' layup with 4:25 remaining gave Duke its first lead since early in the first half at 63-61. Gavin Doty's missed three-pointer with 28 seconds left sealed the outcome after Siena closed to within four points.
Cam Boozer led Duke with 22 points and 13 rebounds, going 13-for-14 at the free-throw line. Cayden Boozer added 19 points, while Evans recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds. Siena's Doty scored 21 points with four rebounds and two assists, Francis Folefac had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Brendan Coyle added 12 points.
Siena played its starters the full 40 minutes. Duke advances to face No. 9 seed TCU, which beat No. 8 Ohio State earlier Thursday, in the second round on Saturday.
Sources
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellness_Arena
- UMBC makes history, beats No. 1 Virginia. NCAA.com. March 16, 2018. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2018-03-16/umbc-makes-history-beats-virginia-first-no-16-over-no-1
- Fairleigh Dickinson upsets top seed Purdue in first-round thriller. NCAA.com. March 17, 2023. https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-17/no-16-fairleigh-dickinson-knocks-out-no-1-purdue-first-round-thriller