The No. 1 seed Duke avoided a stunning first-round exit Thursday night, rallying from an 11-point halftime deficit to defeat No. 16 Siena, 71-65, in a tense NCAA Tournament matchup.

Siena controlled much of the first half, building a 43-32 lead behind efficient shooting and confident perimeter play. The Saints shot 54.8% from the field before the break and capitalized on a prolonged scoring drought from Duke, which struggled to find rhythm offensively.

The Blue Devils, however, flipped the game after halftime. A defensive adjustment to a three-two zone disrupted Siena’s momentum, holding the Saints to just 23.5% shooting in the second half. That shift allowed Duke to slowly chip away at the deficit and regain control.

Offensively, Duke leaned heavily on the Boozer brothers, who combined for 41 points to lead the comeback effort. Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer delivered key baskets during a decisive stretch, including an 11-0 run that erased most of Siena’s lead midway through the second half.

Siena briefly regained momentum after a three-pointer pushed its lead back to multiple possessions, but Duke responded with timely scoring and defensive stops. Isaiah Evans contributed critical baskets, including a put-back that cut the deficit to one and a late layup that gave Duke its first lead since the opening minutes.

With the game tied late, Cameron Boozer converted at the free-throw line to give Duke the edge, and the Blue Devils closed the game with strong defense, holding Siena scoreless for nearly six minutes down the stretch.

Despite the loss, Siena pushed the tournament’s top seed to the brink, fueled by standout performances including Francis Folefac’s 18 points and early shooting efficiency from beyond the arc.

Duke advances, but the narrow escape serves as an early reminder of March Madness volatility, where even top seeds can find themselves on the edge of elimination.