UConn Freshman Sinks 35-Footer to Beat Duke at Buzzer
UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hit a miracle 35-foot three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to complete a stunning 19-point comeback and beat Duke 73-72, sending the Huskies to their third Final Four in four years. The Indiana native will now return home to Indianapolis chasing the program's third national championship in four years.
A freshman from Indiana just hit the shot of the tournament, sending his team home to Indianapolis for a shot at history.
UConn's Braylon Mullins buried a 35-foot three-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining to complete an impossible 19-point comeback against Duke, winning 73-72 in the Elite Eight. The Huskies advance to their third Final Four in four years, chasing a third national championship that would match UCLA's dominance from the 1970s.
The magic almost didn't happen. UConn trailed by 19 points in the first half and still faced a double-digit deficit with just six minutes remaining.
Senior Alex Karaban, the winningest player in UConn history, had the assist on the game winner. After Duke's Cayden Boozer threw an errant pass near halfcourt with seconds remaining, Mullins recovered the steal, passed to Karaban, then got the ball right back.
"I watched the trajectory of the ball and I said, this might go in," said UConn coach Dan Hurley. Mullins had missed his first four three-point attempts of the game, but he never doubted the final one.
"Hell yeah," Mullins said when asked if he thought it was going in. "You got to have the confidence."
Transfer Tarris Reed Jr. kept UConn's hopes alive throughout the comeback, finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals. His dominance gave his teammates time to find their shooting touch.
The Huskies made just one of their first 18 three-point attempts. But when it mattered most, guard Silas Demary Jr. hit back-to-back threes with seven minutes left to ignite the comeback, and Karaban finally connected with 50 seconds remaining to cut Duke's lead to one.
Why This Inspires
Thirty-six years ago, Duke's Christian Laettner broke UConn hearts with a buzzer-beater in the Elite Eight. On Sunday night, a teenager from Indianapolis who grew up dreaming of moments like this delivered the ultimate redemption story.
Mullins said it was his first game-winning shot in a potential season-ending situation since his junior year of high school. Now he gets to chase a national championship in his home state, proof that the biggest stages are made for those brave enough to take the shot.
"This is in its own category," Mullins said. "This is different."
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Based on reporting by ESPN
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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