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UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) congratulates UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) after he made the game-winning three-point basket against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Epic comeback sends UConn to men's Final Four

By Sean Keane | Last updated Mar 30, 2026 8:01 AM ET

There had never been a No. 1 seed lose in the NCAA Tournament after leading by 15 points after halftime. Thanks to a costly late turnover and a 35-foot jumper by Connecticut's Braylon Mullins, Duke ended up on the wrong end of an epic comeback, and UConn is heading back to the Final Four with a 73-72 win.

Duke led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but UConn climbed back in the game thanks to forced turnovers, inside scoring and a monster defensive effort from Tarris Reed, Jr. Before the game-winning shot, UConn was 4-of-22 on threes, and Mullins was 0-for-4, before breaking Duke's hearts.

UConn never quit while down by double digits

Duke took a commanding lead on the Huskies late in the first half, when they went on a 14-0 run to take a 44-25 lead. Reed got in foul trouble, Player of the Year Cameron Boozer scored at will, and UConn started the game 1-for-18 from behind the arc.

ESPN listed Duke's win probability at 98.5 percent late in the first half. Even after UConn's strong start to the first half, Duke still led by nine with less than five minutes to go. But in the last 1:05 of the game, Cameron and Cayden Boozer each had passes stolen and turned into UConn three-pointers, with the last one on Cayden sending the Huskies to Indianapolis next weekend.

OH MY GOODNESS

UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026

Reed finished with 26 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Cameron Boozer scored 27 points, and Cayden Boozer had 15, but the twin brothers also combined for seven turnovers. Meanwhile, Dan Hurley's Huskies are going to the Final Four for the third time in four seasons.

Duke was sunk by another improbable comeback

This Duke team has a completely different starting lineup than last year's team, which featured outstanding NBA rookies Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel. They were bounced out of March Madness similarly.

In last year's national semifinal, Duke led the Houston Cougars by 14 points with eight minutes to go. But like this year's game, Duke couldn't score when it counted, making only one field goal in the last 10 minutes against Houston, and putting up only five points in the final five minutes Sunday.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer may face criticism for how he handled the end of this game. Duke could have simply held the ball in the final seconds, waiting for UConn to foul down two points. Instead, Cayden Boozer tried to throw the ball into the front court, and UConn got the deep game-winner.

Scheyer will likely have another team full of future lottery picks. Even with all that talent, Scheyer's ability to close games with his loaded team will remain in question. UConn's heart will not.

Sean Keane

Sean Keane is a sportswriter and a comedian based in Oakland, California, with experience covering the NBA, MLB, NFL and Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league, The Big 3. He’s written for Comedy Central’s “Another Period,” ESPN the Magazine, and Audible. com

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