March Madness is often described as a state of euphoria and disbelief. More often that not, it’s also described as the state of Connecticut.
If you were near a television shortly after 7 PM ET yesterday you’re probably still trying to pick your jaw off the floor from what you saw that THE ASSOCIATED PRESS breathlessly described:
Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 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.
Cameron Boozer, who had 27 points for the Blue Devils, fought his way to a basket inside with 28.9 seconds to play, and the next UConn possession used precious time before Demary was fouled. After he made one of two, the inbound came to Cameron Boozer, who passed out of a double team to Dame Sarr, who then found Cameron’s twin brother, Cayden Boozer, in the middle of the could. Instead of waiting to be fouled, Cayden Boozer — who shoots about 81% from the line — tried for one more pass.
There were two Duke players alone behind the UConn defense, but Demary was able to deflect the ball and Mullins recovered it near midcourt. He passed to Karaban, who gave it back to Mullins. The freshman was in rhythm, but about halfway between the 3-point arc and half court. Nothing but net.
It’ll go down alongside the great NCAA Tournament game-winning shots, next to Christian Laettner’s for Duke in the 1992 Elite Eight against Kentucky. Or Laettner’s shot in the 1990 regional final — which turned another Duke-UConn classic from a loss into a win for the Blue Devils.
As for the Huskies, they’re now on the cusp of true history, seeking to become the first team since John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins of the 1970s to capture three titles in four years, and the first-ever program to capture national championships for both their men’s and women’s teams in the same season three times. UConn pulled that feat off in 2004 and 2014; so by all accounts we’re two years overdue.
Indeed, the women have more than kept up their end of the bargain so far, as YAHOO! Sports’ real life human Ryan Young imparted:
UConn, after holding just a seven-point lead at halftime, pulled away in the second half to pick up a 70-52 win over Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame to kick off the slate of games on Sunday afternoon. While it ended up being a near-20-point blowout, the game was anything but for the first three quarters. Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong were held to a combined 10 points in the first half, the duo’s worst output in any first half all season, and the Huskies scored only 12 total points in the second quarter.
But eventually, they surged ahead in the second half and put Notre Dame away for good to reach the Final Four for a 17th time in the past 18 tournaments. The Huskies, who are undefeated and had just one of their wins within single digits all season, look very capable of winning the national title in a week.
Meanwhile, the men look forward to a Saturday showdown with an opponent who concocted more than a little magic of their own the day before. Per the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES’ Steve Greenberg:
For the first time since 2005, Illinois men’s basketball team has reached the Final Four. A 71-59 win against Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region final earned the Illini (28-8) a trip to Indianapolis…the No. 3-seeded Illini had to rally and grind in Houston to get over the hump against the No. 9-seeded Hawkeyes (24-13), who found a higher level in their first run to the Elite Eight since 1987.
“This group’s special,” coach Brad Underwood said…Underwood’s team had to withstand one difficult bucket after another from truly outstanding guard Bennett Stirtz, who scored 24.
And this all makes for a tantalizing April coda to March Madness. Michigan and Arizona delivered convincing wins over their foes, while UCLA punched a ticket on the women’s side with a comeback win over the Duke women that made Sunday in Durham doubly depressing. Tonight the women’s Final Four gets rounded out. Fun, fun, fun. We Conn’t wait.
Courage…