WASHINGTON (AP) — Braylon Mullins retrieved a loose ball near midcourt and suddenly, improbably, UConn had a chance to win.
As the frantic final seconds unfolded, Dan Hurley figured a timeout would do little good.
“It just felt like the window where you’ve just got to let March Madness take over,” Hurley said. “March magic.”
The Huskies have enjoyed plenty of that through the years, and this may have been their most astonishing win yet. Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn a 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke on Sunday, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit.
The Blue Devils (35-3) led by three before UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected by Demary, and after UConn came up with the ball, Mullins swished a 3 from 35 feet away.
