Zeshan Khan || Staff Writer || Issue 17
The opening of the NCAA tournament delivered one of the most heart-stopping matchups in recent memory: the Siena Saints vs. the Duke Blue Devils in Greenville, South Carolina. It was clear that head coach Gerry McNamara had his squad prepared for this tournament. While Duke got the first points with a slam dunk off an assist from Kaden Boozer, Siena had their offense ignited by Gavin Doty. Doty played with a level of confidence that showed he believed he was the best player on that floor; he had the Blue Devils on their heels in the first half with his ability to hit from long range and his fearless drives to the rim.
Siena’s defensive strategy was equally impressive, using a swarming defense that helped the team force Duke to lose possession of the ball. By the middle of the game, Siena had built an 11-point lead which eventually stretched to 13 points—the largest deficit Duke had faced all season.
Duke, led by coach Jon Scheyer, was forced to dig deep. Because of a shortage of key players like Ngongba and Foster, the duty fell on Kaden Boozer. Boozer, who is considered one of the elite guards in the country, really lived up to his title by using a variety of spins, moves, drives, and clutch jumpers to slowly steal the show from the Saints. The game heated up in the last three minutes, where Duke finally managed to reclaim the lead. This was one of the best matches played by Siena; even though Duke won, Siena still displayed incredible grit, forcing the #1 seed to the brink of elimination.
Pictured: Siena v Duke, Sports Ilustrated
The Hudsonian 