who won duke or siena

Duke beat Siena 71-65. This was a nail-biting first-round NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament game on March 19, 2026, where the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils barely escaped an upset by the No. 16 Siena Saints.

Game Overview

Duke trailed by double digits at halftime (Siena led 43-32) and faced their largest deficit of the season at 13 points in the second half. The Blue Devils mounted a stunning comeback, taking the lead for good with 4:25 left after Cameron Boozer tied it at 61. Siena's shooting collapsed post-intermission (8/34 FG), enabling Duke's zone defense to seal the win.

Team| 1st Half| 2nd Half| Final
---|---|---|---
Siena| 43| 22| 65 1
Duke| 32| 39| 71 1

Key Performances

• Duke : Cameron Boozer led with 22 points (13/14 FT), Cayden Boozer added 19 points on 9/16 shooting.

• Siena : Gavin Doty scored 21, Francis Folefac had 18, but both faded late.

Siena stuck with their starters nearly the full game, a rare tactic not seen since 1979.

Trending Buzz

Fans and analysts called it a wake-up call for Duke, who were 28.5-point favorites but looked vulnerable—nearly the third 16-over-1 upset (after 2018, 2023). Forums lit up with "historic scare" talk, praising Siena's grit while questioning Duke's early lapses. Next, Duke faces No. 9 TCU.

TL;DR : Duke survived a massive scare to win 71-65, advancing but exposed flaws early in March Madness 2026.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.