Duke 'Showed Incredible Character' in Nail-Biter Against Siena

The Blue Devils faced quite the scare early in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer talks to a referee March 21, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game with TCU at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Duke Blue Devils, the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, were kicked in the teeth early on, barely squeaking out a win over 16-seed Siena in the Round of 64. After trailing for the majority of the contest, Duke was able to escape with a 71-65 victory.

Duke was without two key veteran starters in junior Caleb Foster and sophomore Patrick Ngongba, but simply put, it didn't look like the Blue Devils came ready to play at all. Even senior Maliq Brown told reporters at halftime he thought the matchup against the Saints would be a "cakewalk."

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) grabs a rebound against the Siena Saints in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer's club entered the halftime locker room in a 43-32 deficit, facing the risk of being the third 1-seed in the history of college basketball to fall to a 16-seed.

Nonetheless, despite trailing for 71% of the game, the Blue Devils outscored the Saints 39-22 in the second half to advance to the Round of 32.

Mar 19, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer Details Why Duke Improved Through Round of 64

The nail-biting victory was at the very least a wake-up call for the Blue Devils that, in the NCAA Tournament, there are no cakewalks. Scheyer spoke to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein and said why he thinks Duke got better with the early tight matchup.

"I think for us, to be able to work through that in the second half...I thought we showed incredible character," Scheyer said. "And I really think that's an amazing thing to learn from that helped us against TCU and hopefully will help us move forward here against St. John's."

Mar 21, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) handles the ball against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Duke Bounced Back in Big Way Against Horned Frogs

The Blue Devils had Ngongba back in the lineup, one of the most underrated impact players in college basketball, especially defensively. Duke looked back in prime form in the Round of 32 against the Horned Frogs.

Duke defeated 9-seed TCU 81-58, outscoring Jamie Dixon's club 43-24 in the second half. The Blue Devils outdid the Horned Frogs 38-28 in the paint and won the rebounding margin 42-25 overall and a ridiculous 33-14 on the defensive glass.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino looks on in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Scheyer and Co. now prepare for 5-seed St. John's, which has become a trendy upset pick to knock off the Blue Devils. The contest has the makeup of a low-scoring, half-court affair that will likely favor the squad that wins the physicality battle.

Duke is looking to advance to its third straight Elite Eight under Scheyer.