In a game that instantly earned a place among the greatest finishes in NCAA Tournament history, the UConn Huskies produced a stunning rally Sunday night, erasing a 19-point deficit and defeating the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils 73–72 on freshman Braylon Mullins’ unforgettable 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the East Region final.
The victory sends UConn back to the Final Four and adds another chapter to the Huskies’ remarkable March legacy under head coach Dan Hurley — one defined by resilience, late-game magic, and championship expectations.
With Duke leading by three and just seconds remaining, the Blue Devils appeared poised to escape. But chaos unfolded near midcourt when Cayden Boozer attempted a pass to avoid being fouled. UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. deflected it, Mullins gathered the loose ball, briefly passed to Alex Karaban — and got it right back.
Standing well beyond the arc and closer to midcourt than the 3-point line, Mullins rose in rhythm and fired.
In an instant, UConn transformed a near-certain defeat into one of the most dramatic Elite Eight victories ever — a moment destined to live alongside iconic NCAA Tournament daggers like Christian Laettner’s 1992 buzzer-beater and Kris Jenkins’ championship-winning shot in 2016.
For much of the afternoon, this looked like Duke’s game. The Blue Devils smothered UConn defensively early, holding the Huskies to just one made 3-pointer in their first 18 attempts and building a commanding 44–25 lead late in the first half before taking a 44–29 advantage into the break.
That 15-point halftime margin became the largest blown halftime lead by a No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Only one Elite Eight comeback has been larger: Louisville’s 20-point rally against West Virginia in 2005. Yet the Huskies never stopped pushing.
Powered by Tarris Reed Jr.’s dominant interior presence — he finished with 26 points — UConn chipped away possession by possession. Karaban’s late 3-pointer pulled the Huskies within one in the final minute, setting the stage for Mullins’ miracle.
When told afterward his team had missed 17 of its first 18 3-point attempts, Hurley laughed and covered his face — a coach still processing how his team survived.
Freshman star Cameron Boozer led Duke with 27 points and delivered a clutch basket with 28.9 seconds remaining that seemed to steady the Blue Devils’ grip on the game.
Moments later, however, a decision by his twin brother Cayden Boozer to pass instead of absorbing a likely foul proved costly when Demary disrupted the play near midcourt.
The turnover opened the door — and Mullins slammed it shut with history.
It marked another painful tournament exit for Duke after last year’s collapse against Houston in the national semifinals and continued a trend of heartbreak against UConn. The Huskies have now beaten the Blue Devils three times in the NCAA Tournament’s biggest moments, including the 1999 national title game and the 2004 Final Four.
With the victory, UConn improved to 33–5 and advanced to its third Final Four in four seasons under Hurley. Now comes a chance at something even bigger.
Hurley is attempting to guide the Huskies to their third national championship in four years — a feat not accomplished since UCLA Bruins dominated college basketball in the 1970s.
Even more impressively, UConn has now won 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament games in the Sweet 16 or later rounds. The Huskies’ last loss at this stage came in the 2009 Final Four against Michigan State Spartans.
The reward for surviving one of the tournament’s wildest finishes is a Final Four showdown with the third-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini in Indianapolis on Saturday. If Sunday’s comeback proved anything, it’s this. Counting out UConn in March is still one of the sport’s biggest mistakes.
