Duke Survives Major Scare, Other Upsets Rock March Madness Opening Round

Top-seeded Duke barely escaped a stunning upset bid from 16th-seeded Siena, winning 71-65 after trailing by 13 points. Meanwhile, 12th-seeded High Point pulled off a shocking 83-82 victory over 5th-seeded Wisconsin in the tournament's first round.

The top overall seed in March Madness nearly became the latest victim of tournament magic Thursday, as Duke struggled to overcome 16th-seeded Siena before securing a 71-65 victory in Greenville, South Carolina.

Cameron Boozer dominated the stat sheet with 22 points and 13 rebounds, connecting on 13 of 14 free throw attempts to help the Blue Devils (33-2) recover from a daunting 13-point deficit. His twin brother Cayden contributed a season-best 19 points, while Isaiah Evans recorded 16 points and 10 rebounds in the East Region opener.

The Saints (23-12) made history by becoming the first NCAA Tournament squad since DePaul in 1979 to play their starting five for the complete 40 minutes. They came within striking distance of joining UMBC (2018) and Fairleigh Dickinson (2023) as the only 16-seeds to topple a top seed in tournament play.

Gavin Doty paced Siena with 21 points, supported by Francis Folefac’s 18 and Brendan Coyle’s 12. The Saints commanded an 11-point advantage at intermission, but Duke’s 39-22 second-half surge sealed their advancement to Saturday’s matchup against 9th-seeded TCU.

The Horned Frogs earned that meeting by stunning 8th-seeded Ohio State 66-64 on Xavier Edmonds’ decisive layup with just 4.3 seconds remaining. Micah Robinson topped TCU (23-11) with 18 points, while David Punch contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds despite watching a 15-point halftime cushion nearly evaporate.

In other East Region action, 3rd-seeded Michigan State dominated 14th-seeded North Dakota State 92-67 in Buffalo, New York. Carson Cooper matched his career peak with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while the Spartans (26-7) distributed 26 assists on 33 made field goals to launch their 28th straight tournament appearance with authority.

Sixth-seeded Louisville survived 11th-seeded South Florida 83-79, powered by Isaac McKneely’s seven three-pointers and 23 points. The Cardinals (24-10) captured their first tournament victory since 2017, despite Joseph Pinion’s career-high 27 points for the Bulls.

The West Region delivered the day’s biggest stunner as 12th-seeded High Point shocked 5th-seeded Wisconsin 83-82 in Portland, Oregon. Chase Johnston, who hadn’t made a two-point field goal all season, connected on the game-winner with 11 seconds left to give the Panthers (31-4) their inaugural tournament triumph.

Fourth-seeded Arkansas cruised past 13th-seeded Hawaii 97-78, with Darius Acuff Jr. leading the way with 24 points and seven assists. The Razorbacks (27-8) extended their winning streak to six games and will face High Point next.

In South Region play, 4th-seeded Nebraska finally broke through with their first-ever tournament victory, demolishing 13th-seeded Troy 76-47 in Oklahoma City. Pryce Sandfort connected on seven three-pointers for 23 points as the Cornhuskers (27-6) set a program record with their 27th win.

Fifth-seeded Vanderbilt ended their own tournament drought, defeating 12th-seeded McNeese 78-68 for their first March Madness victory since 2012. Tyler Tanner led the Commodores (27-8) with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the Oklahoma City triumph.