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The weekend was particularly harsh for St. John’s fans, from the longtime supporters to those who joined during the team’s thrilling journey to the Sweet 16. It was almost too much to bear, witnessing Braylon Mullins’ breathtaking 35-foot shot clinch victory at Capital One Arena. This marked the end of UConn’s 19-point comeback, a feat that had eluded the Red Storm against Duke just two days earlier. Once again, UConn, those perennial Huskies, secured a spot in the Final Four for the third time in four years, underscoring that despite St. John’s season successes, the path through the Big East still inevitably leads to Storrs.
In the grand scheme, UConn’s narrow 73-72 victory over Duke, just 48 hours after Duke had bested St. John’s 80-75, resonates more powerfully than any back-to-back Big East Tournament titles won by Rick Pitino’s squad. The Huskies’ prowess on the national stage is undeniably impressive, as they head to the final weekend of college basketball, a familiar rendezvous for them in this bracket season. Meanwhile, St. John’s continues to strive for a return to this stage, a feat they haven’t achieved since 1975.
The drama of Mullins’ game-winning shot was unexpected. Alex Karaban, aiming for his third national title, had possession with a chance for a last-second shot. Yet, he passed to the freshman Mullins, who, despite not having hit a 3-pointer all game and tallying just 10 points, released a shot so smoothly it seemed destined to score even from 45 feet out. Throughout the season, this team had been led by Karaban, Taris Reed Jr., and Solo Ball. It was a UConn squad that had stumbled twice against St. John’s.
Yet, in this moment, it was Mullins, the former five-star recruit who bypassed offers from his home-state Indiana and North Carolina for Danny Hurley’s program, who carved his name into the annals of March Madness history.