Fans, media stunned by Duke’s rough start against 16-seed Siena
By David Wasson
Published:
Through 20 minutes of Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Siena Saints were halfway home in their effort to etch their names into March Madness history.
The MAAC Tournament champions and No. 16 seed in the East Region gave No. 1 seed Duke all it can handle – leading the heavily favored Blue Devils 43-32 at halftime in Greenville. The lead marked the first double-digit advantage a No. 16 seed has ever held against a No. 1 seed at the halftime break.
Here’s a look at the social media reaction:
Should Siena (23-11) hang on to upset Duke, the Saints would become just the third No. 16 seed in the seeding era of the NCAA Tournament to knock off a No. 1 – joining the 2018 UMBC Retrievers (74-54 over Virginia) and the 2023 FDU Knights (63-58 over Purdue).
Entering the 2026 NCAA Tournament, No. 16 seeds are 2-158 all time against No. 1 seeds. Gavin Doy and Francis Folefac were the main offensive weapons for Siena in the first half Thursday, as Doty dropped 16 points and Folefac added 13 points.
Siena shot 54.8 percent from the field in the first half (17-of-31), and limited Duke (32-2) to just 39.3 percent (11-of-28). Cameron Boozer paced Blue Devils with 13 points.
Duke is no stranger to first-round upsets, as No. 15 seed Lehigh stunned the No. 2 seed Blue Devils 75-70 in the 2012 first round.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
