UConn Stuns Duke At Buzzer To Clinch Final Four Berth In Front Of Electric Crowd
Duke controlled most of the game, but it was UConn that came up with the biggest shot of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – There was a lot of talk about the "death of the blue bloods" in D.C. prior to the Sweet 16, but if Sunday was any indication, that's simply not the case. Duke and UConn, two of the most storied programs in college basketball, battled for a spot in the Final Four.
In the end, UConn emerged with a 73-72 victory at Capital One Arena thanks to an incredible 19-point comeback and a buzzer-beating 35-foot banger from Braylon Mullins.
The Huskies advance to the Final Four and will face South region winner Illinois on Saturday in Indianapolis.
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins celebrates after making the game-winning three-point basket against the Duke Blue Devils in the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
(Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)
On Thursday, St. John's head coach Rick Pitino declared that "There are no longer blue bloods in college basketball, and I think that’s great."
While he slightly backed off his comments after his team lost to Duke on Friday, Pitino made another bold claim: "I don’t mean the blue bloods are dead, it’s just they don’t have the advantage they once had… Everybody is now on the same level of playing field."
Both Duke and UConn rank in the Top 25 all-time in wins and have combined for 11 national championships. Now the Huskies have an opportunity to make it seven. UConn might not "officially" be a blue blood by a technical definition, but the Huskies are making as a case as the "modern blue blood" of college basketball.
Duke Rides Favorable Crowd to Fast Start
In a game set roughly 260 miles from Duke University and 370 miles from the University of Connecticut, the contingent inside the arena leaned heavily toward the NCAA Tournament No. 1 overall seed Duke Blue Devils.
Duke used an enthusiastic crowd to fuel an impressive start to the contest, shooting 52% from the field, 45% from 3 and 75% from the free-throw line to race to a 44-29 halftime lead over the Huskies, who struggled mightily. Alex Karaban failed to score in the first half, going 0 for 5 from the floor n a performance that was indicative of his entire team.
UConn made only one 3-pointer in the first half, going 1 for 11. Were it not for Tarris Reed Jr. dominating inside (he scored 12 of the team's 29 points and went 5 for 10 from the field), the Huskies might have been run out of the gym entirely.
UConn Rallies for Improbable Stunner
The Huskies weren't going to lay down and just die. They came out hot in the second half by shooting better and playing suffocating defense to cut the Duke lead to seven points at the under-12 timeout. After Duke took a 44-25 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the first half, UConn went on a 24-12 run.
UConn head coach Dan Hurley spent the weekend talking about his passion for the game, and it was evident from his team. The Huskies never backed down, despite trailing the top team in the country by as many as 19 points. They cut the lead to just 2 points with 3:42 left to go. Duke had stretched its lead back to 11 points before UConn came roaring back with another 14-5 run.
Duke just kept coming, though, and UConn had no answer for Cam Boozer, who showed exactly why NBA scouts consider him one of the best prospects in the upcoming draft. The son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer racked up 27 points to go along with eight rebounds and four assists.
Unfortunately for Duke, it was the other Boozer, Cayden, who had the most impactful play of the game for the Blue Devils. After UConn cut the lead to two on a free throw by Silas Demary, Jr., Boozer tried to get the ball into the frontcourt but saw his pass get deflected and intercepted by Demary.
The ball made its way to freshman Braylon Mullins, who didn't back down from the moment.
Pitino might think blue bloods are dead, but the blue bloods sure put on a show in Washington, D.C. In the end, it's the UConn Huskies who are headed to the Final Four for the third time in the past four years.
If that's not blue blood dominance, old and new, I don't know what is.