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Survive and advance. That’s the name of the game come NCAA Tournament time, and that’s exactly what top overall seed Duke did with a 71-65 victory over 16th-seeded Siena on Thursday.
But the Saints gave the Blue Devils everything they could ask for and more in the opening-round matchup, taking a 43-32 lead into the half and carrying that lead deep into the second half.
At halftime, Duke starting forward Maliq Brown made a surprisingly open admission about the way he and his teammates viewed the game coming in.
“We thought it was going to be a cakewalk going into this game so now we know what it is so we just have to respond back.”
Duke’s Maliq Brown spoke with @TracyWolfson at halftime. pic.twitter.com/m5L8winCV9
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 19, 2026
“We thought it was going to be a cakewalk going into this game, so now we know what it is so we just have to respond back the way we usually do,” Brown told sideline report Tracy Wolfson.
Duke Coach Jon Scheyer Says He Got Outcoached By Siena’s Gerry McNamara
That alone was a surprising thing to hear any player say out loud. But after the game, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer was equally as forthright when it came to his own performance.
“GMac (Siena coach Gerry McNamara), he outcoached me today. He had his guys way more ready to play than I did,” Scheyer said before adding, “It’s about getting it done, finding a way, and then learning and growing from it.”
Ultimately, Scheyer and the Blue Devils did get the job done. And point differential is irrelevant in the NCAA Tournament. But Duke will have to be far more prepared in the coming round if it wants to take home a championship in two weeks.
As for McNamara, he and Scheyer could become a lot more familiar in the coming years. The 42-year-old is the leading candidate to become the next head coach at his alma mater, Syracuse, after it parted ways with former coach and fellow alum Adrian Autry after just three seasons.