In a thrilling NCAA Tournament opener, No. 1 Duke narrowly escaped an upset against No.
16 Siena, keeping their championship dreams alive. Siena came out swinging, jumping to a 43-32 lead, fueled by the sharpshooting of Brendan Coyle and Gavin Doty.
But Duke, led by the dynamic duo of Cameron and Cayden Boozer, who combined for 41 points, managed to rally in the second half.
Duke's head coach, Jon Scheyer, acknowledged the bumpy ride but remained unfazed. "It’s the nature of the tournament," Scheyer reflected.
"We made some early mistakes, and they capitalized. But the character and toughness we showed down the stretch, that’s what this tournament is all about."
Cameron Boozer candidly admitted the team underestimated their opponent. "We came out with the mentality that it was going to be handed to us, and obviously that’s not what happened," he said. This sentiment was echoed by forward Maliq Brown, who confessed he thought Siena would be a "cakewalk."
Despite these admissions, the Blue Devils' resilience shone through. They now prepare for a second-round clash against No.
9 TCU, set for a 5:15 p.m. ET tip-off on Saturday.
Expect Duke to come out with renewed focus, ready to prove why they're the top seed in the tournament.