Cameron Boozer reacts to Duke’s closer-than-expected win over Siena

The Duke Blue Devils fought back from a double-digit first-half deficit to earn a 71-65 win over the Siena Saints. It was a closely contested game that the Blue Devils seemed not to be prepared for. That’s at least what Cameron Boozer indicated while talking with media members in the locker room.

Boozer, who is a true freshman forward, admitted that he and his teammates assumed the game against Siena was going to be an easy contest, according to Travon Miles of ABC 11. Siena put up a fight and certainly forced Duke to play hard in the first game of the NCAA Tournament.

“We came out here with the mentality that it was going to be handed to us, and obviously that’s not what happened,” said Boozer. “We got punched in the mouth.”

Cam Boozer after Duke’s narrow win over 16-seed Siena:

“We came out here with the mentality that it was going to be handed to us, and obviously that’s not what happened. We got punched in the mouth.” pic.twitter.com/viDeayqUf1

— Travon Miles (@TrayABC11) March 19, 2026

Cameron Boozer led Duke in points on Thursday, finishing the contest with 22 points. He also recorded 13 rebounds, three assists, and one block while shooting 36.3% from the floor and hitting one three-pointer out of five attempts.

Another aspect that helped Duke retake control of the game was getting to the free-throw line. As a team, the Blue Devils made 18 out of 21 free throw attempts, while Siena went six for six. Those points turned out to be crucial for the program to stay in the fight throughout the contest.

Duke now moves on to the second round, where they will face off against the TCU Horned Frogs, who defeated Ohio State on Thursday. That game will take place on Saturday, March 21.

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