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Elite Eight Day 2 produced one of the most stunning finishes in tournament history. Duke led UConn by 19 in the first half, pushed cover probability to 95.6%, and appeared to be cruising to the Final Four. Then UConn ripped off a 52-28 second half, and Braylon Mullins buried a 35-foot three at the buzzer to steal a 73-72 victory. Anyone who backed Duke to cover the 4.5-point spread watched a near-certain winner disintegrate in real time — the worst bad beat of the tournament.
The early game offered no such drama. Michigan overwhelmed Tennessee from the opening minutes, going on a 19-0 first-half run that turned a close game into a 48-26 halftime rout. The Wolverines never let up, winning 95-62 to cover the 8.5-point spread with ease. Both games went over — a sharp contrast to yesterday's double-under — as the offenses came alive in the Elite Eight's second night.
(1) Michigan 95, (6) Tennessee 62 — This one was over early. Michigan and Tennessee traded baskets through the first six minutes, knotted at 12-12, before the Wolverines detonated. Yaxel Lendeborg's driving layup sparked a 19-0 Michigan run — Roddy Gayle Jr. hit a three, Elliot Cadeau drained another, and Yaxel Lendeborg capped it with a deep three to make it 35-16 with 6:10 left in the first half. Tennessee looked shell-shocked, managing just two field goals over a seven-minute stretch. Michigan took a 48-26 lead into the break and never looked back, extending the margin to as many as 33 in the second half. Yaxel Lendeborg was everywhere — scoring from three, crashing the boards, and finishing in transition. Michigan covered the 8.5-point spread by 24.5 points, and the over cashed at 157 against a 146.5 total, fueled by both teams scoring freely in garbage time.
(2) UConn 73, (1) Duke 72 — The game of the tournament. Duke came out firing, with Isaiah Evans and Dame Sarr draining threes to build a 22-12 lead by the 7-minute mark. The Blue Devils kept pouring it on — a Dame Sarr three made it 35-21, and Duke's lead swelled to 44-25 with under 5 minutes left in the first half. Cover probability hit 95.6% as Duke appeared to be dismantling UConn. The Huskies trailed 29-44 at the break and looked done.
Then UConn flipped a switch. Tarris Reed Jr. became unstoppable inside, scoring on dunks and layups to chip away at the deficit. Silas Demary Jr. hit back-to-back threes — one to cut it to 55-62, another to make it 58-65 — and suddenly Duke's cushion was evaporating. Solo Ball's layup made it 64-67 with 3:42 left, and the cover probability that had peaked at 95.6% had already crashed below 50%. Duke's Cameron Boozer answered with a mid-range jumper to push it back to 69-72 with 28 seconds remaining, but UConn had one more punch. Alex Karaban's three cut it to 69-70, and after a Cameron Boozer turnover with 5 seconds left, Braylon Mullins launched a 35-foot three at the buzzer — and buried it. UConn 73, Duke 72. The biggest comeback of the tournament sent the Huskies to the Final Four and delivered a devastating bad beat to anyone who backed Duke's 4.5-point spread.