Duke suffers worst collapse by No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Duke led by as many as 19 points but ended up falling 73-72 to UConn in the Elite Eight on Sunday. UConn freshman Braylon Mullins had a steal and then drained a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to complete the stunning rally.
To underscore just how much of a collapse it was, this is the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that a No. 1 seed lost after leading by at least 15 points at halftime.
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Prior to Duke’s loss, teams in that situation had an undefeated 134-0 mark. Instead, UConn is headed to the Final Four for the third time in the last four seasons, with includes back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024.
Duke was still ahead by double digits with just over six minutes remaining prior to UConn’s furious finish. Duke’s Cameron Boozer tallied 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in what was likely his last college game prior to entering the 2026 NBA Draft.
Duke finishes with a 35-3 record. The Blue Devils won the ACC title with a victory vs. Virginia and then defeated Sienna, TCU, and St. John’s before bowing out against UConn. It was Duke’s first loss since a road defeat at UNC on Feb. 7.
