With 2.2 seconds remaining and his team trailing by one point, Braylon Mullins caught a pass near the March Madness logo at midcourt, elevated, and released a 35-foot three-pointer that would instantly become one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history. The ball ripped through the net with 0.4 seconds left, completing a staggering 19-point comeback and giving the UConn Huskies a 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke in the Elite Eight, sending Connecticut to the Final Four and ending Duke's national championship dreams in heartbreaking fashion.
How UConn's Miraculous Comeback Unfolded Against Duke
For much of Sunday's East Regional final at Capital One Arena, it appeared Duke would cruise to the Final Four. The Blue Devils built a 19-point first-half lead, capitalizing on UConn's cold shooting—the Huskies started 1-for-18 from three-point range. But as coach Dan Hurley later explained, "It just felt like the window where you've just got to let March Madness take over. March magic." That magic arrived in the frantic final minutes.
UConn chipped away throughout the second half, cutting the deficit to single digits with under eight minutes remaining. A steal and breakaway dunk by Stephon Castle narrowed the gap to 55-45, and the Huskies eventually pulled within five points with just over four minutes left. Solo Ball's three-point play made it 67-65, and Alex Karaban's three-pointer brought UConn within one point at 70-69 with 50 seconds remaining.
After Cameron Boozer scored in the paint for Duke, Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left, giving Duke a 72-70 lead. What happened next will be replayed for generations.
From 19-Point Deficit to Buzzer-Beater: The Critical Moments
With 10 seconds remaining and Duke inbounding the ball under their own basket, the Blue Devils needed only to advance the ball safely to secure victory. Dame Sarr passed to Cameron Boozer, who returned it to Sarr. He then fed Cayden Boozer, who had two teammates wide open at the opposite end of the court. All he needed to do was throw the ball over the outstretched arms of Demary and Mullins.
He couldn't. Demary deflected the pass, and Mullins grabbed the loose ball near midcourt. He immediately whipped a pass to Alex Karaban on the right wing. Karaban, with Cam Boozer in front of him, instinctively passed back to Mullins, who released the shot with 2.2 seconds remaining.
"I looked at the rim and there was five seconds left, and I thought maybe something better could develop," Karaban told CT Insider. "I had Cam Boozer in front of me, which was a harder, more difficult shot, so I passed it to Braylon. When I saw him release it, I was like, 'That really might go in.'"
It did. The shot swished through the net, leaving 0.4 seconds on the clock. Duke's desperation heave fell short, and UConn had completed one of the most improbable comebacks in March Madness history.
Why Mullins' Shot is Already an NCAA Tournament Legend
Braylon Mullins' game-winner immediately entered the pantheon of great NCAA Tournament shots. The freshman guard, who was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball just last year, had missed his first four three-point attempts before hitting the biggest shot of his life. According to Reuters, "On his fifth, the freshman sank one of the all-time great shots in NCAA Tournament history."
"It still hasn't been fully processed," Mullins said in the locker room after the game. "It's still, just, man, that really did happen. We really did work that hard to get back in the game. I'll look at it tomorrow, the day after, and be like, 'That really did happen.' Every year you see the cycle of game winners pop up on social media or TV and it's crazy now that, looking into the future, mine's going to be on there."
The shot's significance extends beyond this single game. As The Guardian reported, "UConn eliminated No 1 overall seed Duke from the NCAA Tournament on Braylon Mullins's three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left." For Duke, the loss continues a painful history against UConn in postseason play, dating back to Christian Laettner's buzzer-beater against UConn in 1990, UConn's upset of Duke for its first national championship in 1999, and another Huskies comeback victory in the 2004 national semifinals.
Final Four Set: UConn Joins Illinois, Arizona, Michigan
With UConn's victory, the 2026 Final Four field is now complete. The Huskies will join Illinois, Arizona, and Michigan in Indianapolis next weekend. UConn will face Michigan in one national semifinal, while Illinois will take on Arizona in the other.
UConn's path to a potential third consecutive national championship—something no team has accomplished since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty—now goes through Indianapolis, which holds special significance for Mullins. The freshman from Greenfield, Indiana, will return to his home state with a chance to cement his legend.
"The Indiana kid sent us to Indianapolis," Karaban noted. "Like that one? I've been using it a lot lately. You know, he did that."
UConn's Path to a Third Straight National Championship
UConn's victory over Duke demonstrated the resilience that has defined the program under Dan Hurley. Despite trailing by 19 points and shooting poorly for much of the game, the Huskies never panicked. "We felt due," Hurley said of the team's three-point shooting. "And we made some late, so, that was good. The oohs and aahs of him releasing that ball, it will probably be a noise that you'll never forget."
The Huskies will enter the Final Four as the only program with recent championship experience, having won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. That experience, combined with the confidence gained from Sunday's miraculous comeback, makes UConn a formidable contender for a third straight championship.
"This is why sports are the only thing people are watching on live TV, basically," Hurley said after the game. "No one is watching anything else on live TV, because you don't get that anywhere else."
Key Takeaways from an Instant Classic
• Braylon Mullins' 35-foot three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left gave UConn a 73-72 victory over Duke, completing a 19-point comeback.
• The freshman guard, who was 0-for-4 from three-point range before the game-winner, instantly created an NCAA Tournament moment that will be replayed for decades.
• Duke's critical turnover with 2.2 seconds left—when Cayden Boozer's pass was deflected—set up Mullins' historic shot.
• UConn advances to the Final Four in Indianapolis, where they'll face Michigan with a chance to play for a third consecutive national championship.
• The victory continues UConn's postseason dominance over Duke, adding another chapter to one of college basketball's most compelling rivalries.
As the basketball world processes what it witnessed Sunday evening, one thing is certain: Braylon Mullins' name is now forever etched in March Madness lore, and his shot has already taken its place among the greatest moments in NCAA Tournament history.
