Braylon Mullins celebrates the UConn Huskies win over Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday after shooting the game-winning three point basket. – Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The men’s Final Four is set and it’s going to be a doozy. Michigan and UConn earned their way into the tournament’s final weekend, joining Illinois and Arizona.
The first tickets were punched to the women’s Final Four as well on Sunday as UConn and UCLA won their Elite Eight matchups. They’ll now head to Phoenix for the national semifinals.
Advertisement
Here’s what you need to know from Sunday’s action.
UConn stuns Duke late
No. 2 seed UConn shocked top seed Duke 73-72 on a last second, long 3-pointer, sending the Huskies to their third Final Four in four years on Sunday in Washington, DC.
Down two points with less than 10 seconds left, the swarming Huskies defense forced a turnover from Duke guard Cadyn Boozer after the inbounds pass and UConn guard Braylon Mullins heaved a 3-pointer from long range to stun the Blue Devils.
UConn found themselves down 19 and having no luck offensively until they outscored Duke 44-29 in the second half behind Tarris Reed Jr’s 26 points.
Advertisement
The Huskies started the game 1-for-18 from 3-point range but finished 4 of 5 in their stunning win to send them to Indianapolis later this week.
The 19-year-old Mullins, who is from Indiana, finished with 10 points.
“It feels so good to go back home,” Mullins told the CBS broadcast. “I can tell you that. I am excited. Think everyone else will enjoy it too but we’re ready for Indy.”
According to the broadcast, Duke becomes the first No. 1 seed to lose after taking a 15-point or more lead into halftime. The top seeds were previously 134-0 before the Blue Devils’ loss.
UConn will now look to bring home their third national championship in four years to Storrs, Connecticut, but first will face No. 3 seed Illinois on Saturday in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg reacts against the Tennessee Volunteers during the Wolverines’ Elite Eight victory at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. – Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Michigan demolishes Tennessee, puts the rest of the field on notice
The final set of men’s Elite Eight games started with an intriguing matchup in the Midwest Region between No. 6 seed Tennessee – making its third straight Elite Eight appearance – and top-seeded Michigan, which has looked indestructible so far in the tournament.
Advertisement
The game was very evenly matched in the early minutes, with two talented, physical squads testing each other for weaknesses as the Wolverines and Volunteers traded the lead back-and-forth.
But at the midway point of the first half, Michigan caught fire and went on a 21-0 run that put Big Blue firmly in control as a two-point deficit became a commanding 19-point lead and Tennessee went on a 5:43 scoring drought.
As usual, star forward Yaxel Lendeborg was leading the way for the Wolverines with the standout basket of the scoring run on an acrobatic reverse lay-up. By the time halftime arrived, Michigan had grown their lead to 22 points at 48-26.
After the intermission, the Wolverines showed no signs of letting up. Michigan continued to turn the screws on the Volunteers, running up the score and in the process sending a message to the remaining teams that Big Blue will be a force to be reckoned with at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines weaves through the defense for a lay-up in an Elite Eight win over Tennessee. – Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
With the 95-62 win, Michigan becomes the first team ever to win its first four games of the NCAA tournament by double digits while scoring 90+ points in each game. All-American senior Lendeborg had a game-high 27 points as he propelled Michigan to their first Final Four since 2018.
Advertisement
The Wolverines’ triumph sets up a mouth-watering matchup Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats, the top seed from the West Region.
Men’s Elite Eight games on Sunday
-
Michigan 95, Tennessee 62
-
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Duke, 5:05 p.m. ET, CBS
A member of the UConn Huskies band shows support prior to the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. – Elsa/Getty Images
UConn March Madness dominance continues
The overall No. 1 and defending national champion UConn secured the school’s third consecutive Final Four appearance and 25th overall. The Huskies comfortably dispatched No. 6 Notre Dame 70-52 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
With the victory, the Huskies extend their remarkable winning streak to 54 games and improve their all-time Elite Eight record to 25-5.
UConn sophomore sensation Sarah Strong anchored the team’s effort, pouring in 21 points, including 15 in the second half, while adding seven rebounds, five steals and three blocks.
Sarah Strong #21 of the UConn Huskies takes a shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the third quarter. – Elsa/Getty Images
Next up for UConn: a Friday night semifinal showdown against either No. 1 South Carolina or No. 3 TCU.
Advertisement
Notre Dame star junior guard Hannah Hidalgo turned in a gritty performance in the defeat, finishing with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.
UCLA rallies past Duke in the 2nd half to reach Final Four
In the second women’s Elite Eight game of the day, No. 1 UCLA Bruins had their hands full with the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils in Sacramento, California.
Duke played exceptional basketball in the first half, boosted by senior guard Taina Mair, who led the team with 21 points in the game. The Blue Devils led the half nearly wire-to-wire and enjoyed a 39-31 advantage at the intermission.
But the Bruins came out of the locker room swinging in the second half. UCLA held Duke to just eight points in the third quarter, allowing the Big Ten champs to finish the quarter with a lead.
Advertisement
UCLA continued to smother Duke in the fourth quarter as the Bruins extended their lead and ultimately punched their ticket to Phoenix with a 70-58 win.
All-American center Lauren Betts was key to UCLA’s dominance. The senior had a game-high 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during the third quarter in the Elite Eight in Sacramento, California. – Thien-An Truong/Getty Images
The Bruins now await the winner of Monday’s Elite Eight showdown between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed Michigan.
Women’s Elite Eight games on Sunday
The women’s Final Four field will be finalized Monday night following these two Elite Eight matchups:
-
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 1 Texas, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
-
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN
The road to the title runs through the desert, where the women’s national semifinals tip off Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Advertisement
The week of championship energy culminates with the national title game next Sunday.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
