Home Duke Blue Devils Duke Blue Devils rally from halftime deficit to defeat Siena Saints 71-65 in NCAA first round

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Mar 20, 2026

Duke Blue Devils rally from halftime deficit to defeat Siena Saints 71-65 in NCAA first round

The No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils defeated the No. 16 seed Siena Saints 71-65 in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.[1][2]

Duke trailed 43-32 at halftime but outscored Siena 39-22 in the second half to secure the win.[1] Siena played only its five starters for the entire game, a decision that appeared to contribute to fatigue late in the second half.[1]

With 4:25 remaining, Isaiah Evans' layup gave Duke a 63-61 lead, its first since early in the first half. Siena narrowed the gap to four points late, but Gavin Doty missed a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left.[1]

Siena shot 55% from the field and 45% from 3-point range in the first half, while Duke made 2 of 15 3-pointers.[1] The Blue Devils improved their efficiency inside in the second half.

Key player statistics
Player	Team	Points	Rebounds	Other
Gavin Doty	Siena	21	4	2 assists; 3/12 3PT
Francis Folefac	Siena	18	7	2 assists
Brendan Coyle	Siena	12	-	4/9 FG
Cameron Boozer	Duke	22	13	13/14 FT
Cayden Boozer	Duke	19	-	9/16 FG
Isaiah Evans	Duke	16	10	-

[1]

The victory spared Duke from joining the rare list of No. 1 seeds to lose to a No. 16 seed in the first round, a feat accomplished only twice: UMBC over Virginia in 2018 (74-54) and Fairleigh Dickinson over Purdue in 2023 (63-58).[3][4]

Duke, representing the Atlantic Coast Conference, advances to face No. 9 seed TCU, which defeated No. 8 Ohio State earlier on March 19, in the second round on March 21.[1][2]

Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted NCAA Tournament games in previous years.[5]