March makes heroes. Braylon Mullins, welcome to the pantheon.
The UConn shooter was 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the game, but the shot that made him 1-for-5 will live on in March Madness lore. Mullins took a pass from Alex Karaban at the logo and heaved it in a 72-70 game. The ball hit the twine and UConn eliminated Duke to get to the Final Four in miraculous fashion.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) hits a go-ahead three-point basket late in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) hits a go-ahead three-point basket late in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) hits a go-ahead three-point basket late in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies celebrates after shooting the game-winning three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Braylon Mullins #24 celebrates with Malachi Smith #0 of the UConn Huskies after shooting the game-winning three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Malachi Smith (0) celebrates with UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) after a 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.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates after making 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.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
The UConn Huskies huddle up against the Duke Blue Devils prior to an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) passes the ball against Duke Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) goes to the basket against Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21)in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) shoots over Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Silas Demary Jr. #2 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) and UConn Huskies forward Jayden Ross (23) celebrate after a play 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.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) scores against Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) and is fouled in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley celebrates after a play 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.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the first half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Solo Ball #1 of the UConn Huskies dribbles against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Silas Demary Jr. #2 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts after a shot clock violation 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.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskies looks on against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Malachi Smith #0 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the first half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Solo Ball #1 of the UConn Huskies drives to the rim during the first half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskies drives to the hoop against Patrick Ngongba #21 of the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskies dunks against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 celebrates with Malachi Smith #0 of the UConn Huskies during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Jayden Ross #23 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Tarris Reed Jr. #5 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Silas Demary Jr. #2 of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Alex Karaban #11 of the UConn Huskies reacts after shooting a three point basket against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Alex Karaban #11 of the UConn Huskies shoots a three point basket against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half of a game in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies celebrates after shooting a three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
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Braylon Mullins’ late game-winner lifts UConn past Duke
Braylon Mullins #24 celebrates with Malachi Smith #0 of the UConn Huskies after shooting the game-winning three point basket during the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Duke would be unable to score with the remaining 0.4 seconds, completing UConn’s shocking comeback.
REQUIRED READING: UConn completes comeback on a prayer 3 to knock off Duke, head to Final Four
The Huskies were battling back all game after trailing by as many as 19 points. It took a Duke turnover on the final possession to give the Huskies a chance, which Mullins capitalized on in spades.
“I looked up at the clock and it said five seconds,” Mullins said in the on-court interview after the game. “So I tried to get the ball to someone who had made one in the game (Karaban), and he wanted to throw it back. So I mean I saw three seconds, it was the last shot. Just happy to see that [expletive] go in.”
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts with guard Malachi Smith (0) in the first half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts with UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin in the second half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts after defeating the UCLA Bruins in a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 20: Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts against the Furman Paladins during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts against the Furman Paladins during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 20, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 22: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 22: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts after Braylon Mullins #24 of the UConn Huskies shot during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 22: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 22: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 22: UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies looks on during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies looks on during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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Dan Hurley: College basketball’s most animated head coach
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 27: Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the second half against the Michigan State Spartans in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
UConn will now take on Illinois in the Final Four, as it strives for its third championship in four years. And Mullins, who played high school ball in Greenfield, Indiana, will be in Indianapolis to try and do it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Braylon Mullins sends UConn to Final Four with game winner vs Duke
Read the full article here
