Braylon Mullins sank a desperation three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke on Sunday, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit.
The Blue Devils led by three with 10 seconds left before UConn’s Silas Demary Jr made one of two free throws to cut the margin to two. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected, and after UConn came up with the ball, Mullins made a shot from well behind the three-point line.
“I saw three seconds [were left on the clock] and it was the last shot,” Mullins told CBS after the game. “Just happy to see that shit go in. I’m so happy.”
It’s the second straight season to end in a huge collapse for Duke, who were the top overall seed in this year’s tournament. No 1 seeds were 134-0 when leading by 15 points or more at half-time in the NCAA Tournament; that record now stands at 134-1. The Blue Devils led by six with 1:14 remaining before falling to Houston in last year’s national semi-finals. UConn missed 18 of their first 19 attempts from three-point range and finished 5 for 23. The fifth will be remembered in Connecticut for generations.
In Sunday’s other game, Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 points, Elliot Cadeau had 10 assists and Michigan rolled into the Final Four, overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory.
Morez Johnson Jr added 12 points for top-seeded Michigan, who posted their 11th victory this season by at least 30 points. Aday Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final.
Making the most of their size and athleticism, Michigan (35-3) advanced to their first Final Four since 2018 and ninth overall. Next up is a showdown with Arizona in Saturday’s national semi-finals.
“We always wanted to play against them, that team,” Lendeborg said. “They’re a really, really good team, so it’s going to be a super fun matchup.”
Under second-year coach Dusty May – who took Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023 – the Wolverines became the first school to win at least four games in an NCAA tourney by double digits while scoring at least 90 points in each.
Lendeborg, who was named the region’s Most Outstanding Player, was 10 for 19 from the field. He became the first Michigan player to score at least 23 points in three consecutive NCAA Tournament games since Juwan Howard did it in four straight in 1994.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting for Tennessee (25-12), who lost in the Elite Eight for the third straight year under Rick Barnes. The 71-year-old coach reached his only Final Four in 2003 with Texas.
“We certainly know what it takes to get here,” Barnes said. “Now we’ve got to figure out getting through to the next level, and it’s on this day, you’ve got to really be at your best.”
