Step aside, Christian Laettner.
UConn missed 11 straight 3-pointers but shot 4-for-5 from deep in the final seven minutes. Braylon Mullins’ game-winning 3-pointer sent Connecticut (33-5) to its third Final Four in four years, beating Duke (35-3), 73-72.
“It’s single-handedly the greatest moment in my life,” Mullins said after the game.
Mullins, known as a sharpshooter, was 0-for-4 from deep before hitting the game-winning 3-pointer from 35 feet away, but not before stealing the ball on the other end. Not only was it one of the greatest shots in program history, but in NCAA Tournament history.
“One of the most brilliant shooters that you’ll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot,” Dan Hurley said.
“The Indiana kid is sending us to Indianapolis,” Alex Karaban added.
The Huskies were down 19 points after the Boozer brothers, Cameron and Cayden, led the way for Duke with 27 and 15 points, respectively.
“It takes a strong team,” Hurley said. “It takes a tough team. It takes strong men. It takes a bunch of players that let us coach them, let us coach them hard.”
Tarris Reed Jr., named the East Region’s Most Outstanding Player, put on another stellar performance. The “Kodiak Bear” has solidified himself as another UConn great at center. He carried the Huskies with 26 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks on 10-of-16 shooting.
“[He is] just elevating his game for this tournament,” Hurley said. “Changing his legacy, changing his trajectory…He’s playing himself into the first round [of the NBA Draft].”
Connecticut was down 44-29 at halftime and seemed dead in the water. Duke dominated the first half. UConn was lucky to be down 15 heading into the locker room. The Boozer brothers alone nearly matched the Huskies’ point total (27) in the opening frame.
“At halftime, Coach [Hurley] said, ‘We’ve got to swing for the fences. We’ve got to give it all we’ve got,” Reed said.
The win ties the sixth-largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history and was the first time a No. 1 seed lost after leading by at least 15 points at halftime. The record coming into the game? 134-0.
Karaban struggled for the most part, going 0-for-6 from the field, and did not even score until the second half. The two-time national champion hit a clutch 3-pointer to cut the Duke lead to one point with 50.5 seconds in the game.
“I knew that one was going in,” he said. “I knew one of them had to go in eventually. I’m glad that one went in. I’m never going to fall short of confidence”.
Cameron Boozer, who will be the National Player of the Year next week, scored on a spinning layup on the following possession.
“Cam Boozer is a terrific player,” Reed, who matched up with him for the most part, said. “He can guard at all three levels. We knew it was going to be a five-man job for us this game.”
The Blue Devils smartly fouled up three points with 10 seconds remaining. The game felt over when Silas Demary Jr., who finished with 11 points, including two crucial 3-pointers, went 1-for-2 from the line.
But thankfully for the Huskies, Demary was the one who deflected the pass from Cayden Boozer. That should not go unnoticed. And props to Hurley for letting the game play out and not calling a timeout.
“It’s gut instinct,” Hurley said. “It just felt like the window where you’ve just got to let March Madness take over. March Magic.”
Duke’s turnovers ultimately hurt its chances at back-to-back Final Four appearances. Even though UConn was outshot and outrebounded, the Huskies’ defense—an Achilles’ heel last year—was what punched their ticket back to the Final Four.
UConn is now 4-9 against AP No. 1 teams and 5-6 against Duke (2-3 in the NCAA Tournament).
Karaban is now the only player in program history to go to three Final Fours. He is 17-1 as a starter in the NCAA Tournament, with only Laettner and Bobby Hurley having more.
The Huskies can celebrate for now, but they will eventually join Michigan, Arizona and Illinois in Indianapolis, the latter of which is UConn’s opponent on Saturday.
awesome job by Hurley acknowledging those that came before him (JC “your grandfather,” ollie, geno). an insane shot and comeback!
It just shows you how much experience means when things get tight.