Against all odds and the weight of history itself, the No. 2 UConn Huskies stormed back from the brink, upending the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils 73-72 in the Elite Eight clash.
Duke controlled the game early and built a 44-25 lead late in the first half before taking a 44-29 advantage into halftime. The Blue Devils led by as many as 19 points and still held an 11-point edge with 7:59 remaining. UConn, which scored just 29 points in the first half and shot 22% from three-point range, mounted a dramatic turnaround with 44 second-half points. In 134 games where a No. 1 seed held a 15-point halftime lead, they had always prevailed — until Sunday night's historic upset.
The Huskies closed the game on a 22-10 run. With 1:51 left, Duke led 70-65 after a free throw by Patrick Ngongba II. A sequence involving a steal by Tarris Reed Jr. and a three-pointer from Alex Karaban cut the deficit to one. After Cameron Boozer increased the Blue Devils' lead to three, late-game mistakes proved costly.
With 10 seconds remaining and Duke leading 72-70, Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws. On the ensuing possession, Cayden Boozer's pass near midcourt was deflected, leading to a turnover. Freshman Braylon Mullins capitalized, hitting a 35-foot three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to secure the win.
Tarris Reed Jr. led the Huskies with 26 points, while the team finished just 5-of-23 from beyond the arc.
The win sends UConn (33-5) to its third Final Four in four seasons, where it will face the Illinois Fighting Illini. Meanwhile, Duke (35-3) suffered its second consecutive NCAA Tournament collapse, following a late loss to the Houston Cougars in the 2025 Final Four.
