RALEIGH, N.C. – There was a level of confidence and poise, the air of a veteran team that expected to win on college basketball's biggest stage.

There was execution, huge defense, clutch free throws down the stretch and adjustments and basically a team that finished solidly against a quality opponent.

And then there was Duke.

Mercer found this dancing thing very much to its liking and began the second full day of the NCAA tournament with a bracket-busting 78-71 victory over third-seeded Duke on Friday at PNC Arena.

"They're not just a good team; they're an outstanding team," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of the Bears (27-8), the Atlantic Sun champions from Macon, Ga. "So well-coached. You can tell those guys played a lot of basketball together."

The 14th-seeded Bears, with a starting lineup of five seniors, rushed to the edge of the court in front of their fans and reacted like a midmajor team that beat Duke 30 miles from its campus should: hugging and yelling and, of course, dancing.

There was plenty of energy to dance after a game with nine ties and 13 lead changes, Mercer having answers all afternoon.

"Our guys believed they could win, which is also another major thing that transpired," coach Bob Hoffman said.

Mercer came back from five down in the last 4 minutes, 52 seconds as Duke's offense collapsed.

They sent home one of the true blue-blood programs, coached by a Hall of Famer and starring freshman Jabari Parker, sure to be a top NBA pick. Jakob Gollon scored 20 points and Daniel Coursey 17, helping the Bears overcome a season-high 15 three-pointers from Duke (26-9).

Mercer scored 11 consecutive points during a late 20-5 run that sent the Blue Devils to their second first-game exit in three years. The Bears shot 56 percent from the floor.

"I never thought this was going to happen," said Parker, who has said he hasn't decided if he will go pro. "They didn't look at it on paper."