UConn true freshman Braylon Mullins etched his name in March Madness lore forever against Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday, March 29.
Mullins’ 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left gave UConn a 73-72 win over the top-seeded Blue Devils, securing a 19-point comeback win for the Huskies in dramatic fashion. He was 3-of-9 shooting and 0-of-4 from 3-point range prior to the shot.
UConn trailed 72-70 with six seconds left with Duke inbounding the ball, but Cayden Boozer’s intended pass down the court was deflected and stolen by Silas Demary Jr., resulting in the Huskies’ final possession. It was then that Duke’s 98.7% chance of victory per ESPN Analytics, vanished.
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“Just happy to see that (expletive) go in,” Mullins said on after the game on the CBS broadcast.
UConn faced a season-worst 15-point deficit at halftime but responded by outscoring Duke 44-28 in the second half.
UConn guard Alex Karaban, who holds the NCAA Tournament record for wins with 17 in his career, was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting. However, the senior showed up when it mattered most, nailing a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left to pull the Huskies within a point.
UConn struggled from 3-point range overall, going 5-of-23 from distance. Starters Alex Karaban, Solo Ball, Braylon Mullins and Silas Demary Jr. combined for 5-of-21 shooting from 3-point range, despite the quartet all being solid shooters this season. Four of those makes came in the final 10 minutes, with the game on the line, however.
UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr., one of the top performers of the entire men’s NCAA Tournament, continued his hot streak, scoring a game-high 26 points with nine rebounds in the win. Twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer were also tremendous for Duke, as Cameron scored 27 points with eight rebounds and four assists, whereas Cayden added 15 points, five rebounds and six assists.
It’s a statement win for UConn and coach Dan Hurley, reaching their third Final Four in the last four seasons after winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies had a down season by their standards in 2025, falling to eventual national champions Florida in the second round after being selected as a No. 8 seed.
On the other hand, it’s another brutal finish for Duke in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils were upset by Houston in the Final Four last season despite being the national championship favorites and leadin by six points with 1:14 left in the game. They also fell to No. 11 seed NC State in the Elite Eight in 2024 and were by Tennessee in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the first year under coach Jon Scheyer.
UConn now looks forward to its Final Four matchup against No. 3 Illinois, with the winner taking on either No. 1 Michigan or No. 1 Arizona. Mullins, an Indiana native, will also be returning to his home state for the Final Four in Indianapolis, looking to squeeze out some more magic as UConn looks for two more wins.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UConn vs Duke: Huskies advance to final four behind game-winning shot
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