UConn’s thrilling win over Duke proved that blue-blood clashes are alive and well

Washington, D.C. — In a tournament already famous for upending convention, Connecticut’s 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke on Sunday night felt like a bridge across decades, fusing the pageantry of college basketball’s past with the volatility of its present. Freshman guard Braylon Mullins’s desperation three-pointer as the horn sounded not only propelled the Huskies into the Final Four; it shattered a statistical certainty—No. 1 seeds had been 134-0 when leading by 15 or more points in NCAA Tournament history. That record now reads 134-1.

The shot was set up by Mullins’s own steal from Duke guard Cayden Boozer with 10 seconds remaining, a sequence that immediately drew comparisons to UCLA’s 2006 comeback against Gonzona and Villanova’s buzzer-beater to win the 2016 title. Alex Karaban’s poised feed to Mullins mirrored Ryan Arcidiacono’s renowned assist to Kris Jenkins, underscoring how quickly March moments become March lore.

“We fought, we clawed, put ourselves in position to take advantage of a mistake that they made,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “And one of the most brilliant shooters you’ll ever see shoot a basketball made an incredible, legendary March shot.”

Duke, which led by 19 in the first half, could not find answers once UConn tightened defensively and pounded the ball inside. The Huskies missed 17 of their first 18 three-point attempts, yet closed the gap behind senior center Tarris Reed Jr., whose 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals earned him the regional Most Outstanding Player award. Reed scored 20 of his team’s 36 paint points, outmaneuvering highly touted Duke freshmen Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba II with old-school footwork and timely shot contests.

Boozer, likely a top-five pick in June’s NBA Draft, finished with 27 points and eight rebounds, sporting a black eye that symbolized the contest’s physicality. Still, inexperience haunted the Blue Devils on the final possession; three freshmen touched the ball, each flipping quick passes rather than absorbing contact to reach the foul line.

The defeat left Duke coach Jon Scheyer searching for perspective. “Look at the whole game,” he urged, though Cayden Boozer could barely address the decisive turnover.

For traditionalists, the weekend in the nation’s capital offered a respite from an era defined by unlimited transfers, lucrative NIL deals and perimeter-oriented attacks. Both blue-blood programs had already dismissed two Hall of Fame coaches—Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and St. John’s Rick Pitino—en route to the Elite Eight, raising questions about whether historic powers were losing relevance.

Hurley had argued earlier in the week that non-blue bloods might hold structural advantages in the current climate, noting players and advisors treat decisions as business calculations, not sentimental journeys. The 2023 Final Four—headlined by first-time participants San Diego State, Florida Atlantic and Miami—appeared to confirm that veterans plucked from the transfer portal could tilt the bracket.

Yet Sunday suggested talent acquisition and roster continuity still rule. UConn’s rotation blended elite youth with battle-tested transfers: Georgia’s Silas Demary Jr. buried two late threes and helped force Boozer’s late error; Dayton redshirt senior Malachi Smith threaded a slip pass for a momentum-swinging Reed dunk. The formula allowed Hurley, an old-school coach in demeanor, to thrive in the sport’s new frontier.

The Huskies will bring that blend to the Final Four, proving that pedigree, when paired with adaptation, remains lethal. “Obviously that’s an epic,” Hurley said. “Just another chapter in the UConn-Duke NCAA Tournament dramatics.”