Over the span of 0.4 seconds, Duke made history in a grand win
0.4 seconds. In that span of time UConn made history for their team. With a final score of 73-72, the University of Connecticut, commonly known as UConn,was able to advance to the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. Therefore, UConn was able to obtain their 3rd title game in four years.
Coincidentally, this moment happened 36 years after Christian Laettner hit a buzzer-beater to beat UConn in the Elite Eight and send Duke to the men’s Final Four, so this time the Huskies got their revenge. The person who made this incredible shot for the Huskies this year was freshman Braylon Mullins.
Mullins grew up on the outskirts of Indianapolis as he was raised by a basketball family. He developed his skills over the course of his whole lifetime, beginning to make a significant name for himself on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit with the Indiana Elite. He was later named Indiana Mr. Basketball at Greenfield-Central High School and joined UConn in the year of 2025. So let’s walk through this incredible play.
Starting with a missed free throw by UConn, Duke was trying to bag the game. With approximately 10 seconds left, Duke’s Cayden Boozer threw a pass toward teammate Cameron Boozer that was intercepted by UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. near the midcourt. The deflected ball landed in the hands of Braylon Mullins who passed it to teammate Alex Karaban, who then immediately passed it back to Mullins. The freshman Mullins then sank a 35-foot three pointer. You can only imagine the emotions running through his mind at this moment. While getting interviewed he stated he was “happy that was the one that went down,. “I’m still lost of words, still processing what just happened,”he continued. [It’s a moment] “you dream about.”
UConn Coach Hurley highlighted the team’s belief after overcoming a 19-point deficit to win. Hurley praised Mullin’s buzzer-beating shot as “what March Madness is all about,” while also praising and complimenting the team’s mental toughness and defensive effort. Reactions from fans were nothing less than ecstatic, including wild celebrations in bars and homes, with videos showing fans jumping, screaming, and even blowing out a Ring camera’s audio. The Huskies finished as the March Madness tournament runner-up after losing to the Michigan Wolverines 69-63 in the national championship game. As a number two seed, UConn reached the title game after a very strong tournament run, following the defeat of teams including Furman, UCLA, Michigan State, Duke, and Illinois. Looking over to the other side of this incredible win, we also have a devastating loss. Fans flooded social media, turning their anger toward players and coaching, specifically targeting Cayden Boozer for a turnover in the final moments, while some “fair-weather” fans were criticized for turning on the team, according to social media reactions and reports. This loss was viewed by many fans as a “historic collapse” and a “heartbreaking” repeat of previous tournament failures where Duke blew double-digit leads. One thing that we can rely on in March is that basketball will always be Madness.
Article by Sofia Bell