UConn Freshman Braylon Mullins Hits Half-Court Buzzer Beater to Shock Duke in Elite Eight
Duke entered Sunday's Elite Eight as the No. 1 overall seed, the tournament favorite, and — with 0.4 seconds left and a two-point lead — a 98.7% favorite to win according to ESPN Analytics. Then a freshman from Greenfield, Indiana picked up a deflected inbound pass and let it fly from near half court, and in seriously jaw-dropping fashion, it went in.
Braylon Mullins' 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining gave UConn a stunning 73-72 victory over Duke, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent NCAA Tournament history and sending the Huskies to their third Final Four in four seasons.
The Huskies Were Down by 15 Points at Halftime
The numbers make the shot even more improbable. Mullins had been 3-of-9 shooting on the day and 0-of-4 from three before the final possession. UConn had gone 5-of-23 from three-point range as a team. At halftime, the Huskies trailed by 15 — a season-worst deficit. None of it mattered.
The final sequence began with Duke inbounding the ball up 72-70 with six seconds left, needing only to survive. Cayden Boozer's pass down the court was deflected and stolen by Silas Demary Jr., setting up the final possession. Duke's lead, their season, and their national championship hopes evaporated in the time it takes a ball to travel from half court to the basket.
@bleacherreport Braylon Mullins logo three with 0.4 seconds remaining shocked Duke and sent UConn to the Final Four ???? #marchmadness #mbb #basketball #uconn #collegebasketball
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"Just happy to see that go in," Mullins said on the CBS broadcast.
The comeback was a total team effort. Tarris Reed Jr. was the engine all night, scoring a game-high 26 points with nine rebounds. Senior Alex Karaban — who holds the NCAA Tournament record for career wins with 17 — was held to just five points on 2-of-10 shooting, but delivered when it mattered most, draining a 3-pointer with 50 seconds left to pull UConn within one.
For Duke, it is another brutal March exit. Duke entered as the pre-tournament favorite for the tenth time since 1979 — and once again, the favorite's burden proved too heavy. They were upset by Houston in last year's Final Four despite leading by six with 1:14 left. They fell to No. 11 seed NC State in the 2024 Elite Eight ... and now this.
UConn moves on to face No. 3 Illinois in the Final Four on Saturday, April 4 at 6:09 p.m. ET on CBS. Mullins, an Indiana native, will be playing in his home state — in Indianapolis — with a chance to add to what is already one of the more extraordinary March Madness moments in recent memory.