Maliq Brown admitted at halftime that the Duke Blue Devils expected a “cakewalk” in their NCAA Tournament first-round matchup against the Siena Saints.
The No. 1 seed found itself down 11 at the half against the No. 16 seed. But, Duke turned things around in the second half and narrowly avoided what would have been a historic upset.
Maliq Brown Makes Candid Admission After Duke’s First-Half Woes Against Siena
The Siena Saints came out of the blocks quickly and took a stunning 43-32 lead into the break. Per Jeff Borzello of ESPN, this was the first time in NCAA Tournament history that a No. 1 seed had trailed a 16th seed by double digits at halftime.
Host broadcaster CBS caught up with Brown at the break, and he surprisingly stated that the Blue Devils were expecting a “cakewalk” in their first-round contest. He also spoke about nerves being an issue for the favorites.
“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
“Just the first game. I feel like a lot of us were kind of nervous. We just got punched first. So we have got to respond back going into the second half and be ready,” Brown told CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson when asked about Duke’s first-half struggles.
“Obviously, we weren’t playing our basketball. 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,” he added.
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The Blue Devils responded brilliantly after the break, scoring 39 second-half points to win the game, 71-65.
Brown scored 6 points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field, also securing 8 rebounds over 26 minutes.
Boozer Brothers Star in Duke’s Comeback Win Over Siena
Cameron Boozer spearheaded the comeback for Duke with a double-double. The NBA prospect scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, going 4-for-11 from the field. His twin, Cayden, also impressed, scoring 19 points on 9-for-16 shooting.
While the Blue Devils narrowly avoided a first-round upset, they will need to deliver a much-improved performance in the next round to avoid an early exit.
Next up for Jon Scheyer’s side is a tricky second-round matchup against the No. 9-seeded TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday. TCU claimed an upset win over No. 8 seed Ohio State on Thursday, coming out on top by a 66-64 margin.
Duke is looking to win its first NCAA Tournament since 2015. The Blue Devils have won five NCAA titles and made the Final Four in 2025.
