UConn pulled off one of the wildest finishes of the NCAA tournament by beating Duke 73 to 72 on a last second three from freshman guard Braylon Mullins. The shot did more than win the game. It completed a comeback that looked almost impossible only minutes earlier and pushed the Huskies into the Final Four.
For most people inside the arena, the moment felt unreal. For Mullins’ father and even some of his teammates, it was shocking mainly because of the stage, not because Braylon took or made that kind of shot.
UConn erased a huge deficit before the final miracle
The Huskies spent most of the game chasing Duke and at one stage trailed by 19 points. They were behind for nearly the entire contest and still found themselves down 72 to 70 with only seconds remaining.
At that point, UConn did not even have the ball. Everything changed after a frantic sequence against the full court press. Duke lost control in the backcourt, the ball came loose, and suddenly the Huskies had one final chance to steal a game that seemed gone.
That twist alone was dramatic. What followed turned it into a March classic.
The final possession turned chaos into history
After the turnover, Mullins got the ball, moved it briefly to teammate Alex Karaban, then got it right back. Karaban thought about shooting himself but saw Mullins in space and trusted him with the moment.
Mullins rose from well beyond normal three point range, with just over two seconds left, and launched a shot that barely seemed real as it left his hands. When it dropped through the net with 0.4 seconds showing, UConn had its first lead since the opening minutes.
The arena exploded. Duke had no answer left. One long shot had changed everything.
His father and teammates had seen this before
Part of what made the aftermath so memorable was the calm confidence from the people who know him best. His father, Josh Mullins, said this was not the first time Braylon had hit a game winner from that kind of distance.
He had done it before in high school and even earlier in AAU basketball. The difference this time was obvious. This shot did not just win a game. It sent UConn to the Final Four and instantly made Mullins part of college basketball history.
Karaban also sensed it had a chance the moment it left Mullins’ hand. The belief inside the team matched the boldness of the attempt.
The moment means even more because of his road back
Mullins’ season did not begin smoothly. The freshman had to deal with knee and ankle issues early in the year and missed several games, which made his rise during the tournament even more meaningful.
Now he is heading to the Final Four in Indianapolis, close to home and in a place tied closely to his own basketball story. That detail added another emotional layer to a moment already overflowing with drama.
For his family, it turned into a night of celebration, tears and disbelief. For UConn, it became one of the defining finishes of the season.
March Madness got another unforgettable ending
The numbers only make the result feel even bigger. UConn had struggled from deep for much of the game, Mullins had missed his earlier attempts from three, and Duke had all the momentum for long stretches.
None of that mattered in the final seconds. A loose ball, a quick decision, and a fearless shot flipped the entire bracket.
Mullins did not just make a buzzer beater. He delivered the kind of moment that will live in tournament memory for years.
