Cameron Boozer Wasn't Worried About Duke Upset, 'We Knew We Were Going to Be Able to Come Out of It'

Duke standout freshman Cameron Boozer wasn't concerned about a potential upset loss as the No. 1 seed Blue Devils wrapped up a 71-65 win over No. 16 seed Siena in the 2026 NCAA tournament.

"That game was ours to take," Boozer said after the victory, per ESPN's David Hale. "The first half, we put ourselves in that position. We knew we were going to be able to come out of it. We just had to come together, do what we do."

Duke trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half of Thursday's game, but was still able to come out on top.

Siena set the tone early in the contest, going on a 10-0 run after both teams were tied 16-16 to open the first half.

While a dunk from Duke forward Maliq Brown ended the run, the Saints extended their lead to double digits multiple times throughout the remainder of the first half before holding a 43-32 edge at halftime.

Siena gained a 47-34 advantage with 18 minutes left in the second half, but the Blue Devils went on to outscore their opponent 37-18 to close out the game and avoid becoming the third No. 1 seed to be upset by a No. 16 seed in March Madness history.

Boozer finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but shot just 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point territory. He connected on 13 of his 14 free-throw attempts, though.

Despite the win, the performance was surprising from a Duke squad heading into the NCAA tournament with high expectations. The Blue Devils won the ACC's regular-season title as well as the conference tournament, boasting a 32-2 record heading into Thursday's action.

Boozer has been a key reason for their success, averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds to go along with 4.2 assists per game. He's also shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from behind the arc.

Duke will now face No. 9 seed TCU in the second round on Saturday.