Duke opened the NCAA tournament with a narrow escape.
The No. 1 overall seed rallied from 13 points down and went ahead for good in the final five minutes to defeat 16th-seeded Siena 71-65 on Thursday, avoiding what would have been a stunning first-round upset.
Late push seals it
Siena pushed Duke throughout the game and built a 13-point advantage, putting the tournament’s top seed under immediate pressure. Duke responded with a comeback that tightened the score and ultimately flipped the result in the closing minutes.
The Blue Devils’ decisive stretch came late, when they took the lead for good inside the final five minutes and held on to close out the win.
Siena earns respect in defeat
Despite the loss, Siena’s performance stood out against the tournament’s top overall seed, forcing Duke to play from behind and execute down the stretch to advance.