UConn's Braylon Mullins Hits 35-Foot Buzzer-Beater To Complete 19-Point Comeback, Stun Duke 73-72

The Blue Devils attempted to run out the clock, but Cayden Boozer's pass near midcourt was deflected. Mullins collected the loose ball and launched from 35 feet. It's a UConn culture, a UConn heart, coach Dan Hurley said. We believe we're supposed to win this time of year. Duke led by as many as 19 points in the first half and still held a double-digit advantage with just over six minutes remaining. Tarris Reed Jr.'s 26 points kept UConn within reach before a burst of three-pointers in the final four minutes put the Huskies ahead. Cameron Boozer, the front-runner for the Naismith Player of the Year award, finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists in what was likely his final college game. The collapse marks the second consecutive season Duke has surrendered a late lead in the NCAA tournament. Last year, the Blue Devils led by six with 1:14 remaining before falling to Houston in the national semifinals. Mullins, a freshman who grew up just outside Indianapolis, will return home for the Final Four. The victory also carries historical resonance as it came 36 years after Christian Laettner's buzzer-beater eliminated UConn in the Elite Eight and sent Duke to the Final Four. The Final Four field is now complete. UConn faces Illinois while Michigan takes on Arizona next Saturday in Indianapolis. The Huskies are 2.5 point betting underdogs against Illinois.