UConn will join Arizona, Illinois and Michigan in Indianapolis after the Huskies punched their ticket to the Final Four in dramatic fashion.
ESPN’s college basketball crew was on-site to break down how the game was won.
How UConn won: Thirty-six years after Christian Laettner hit a buzzer-beater to defeat UConn in the Elite Eight and send Duke to the Final Four, the Huskies got their revenge. UConn freshman Braylon Mullins stole the ball and buried a 3-pointer from 35 feet to cap a remarkable 19-point comeback and give the Huskies a 73-72 win. They advance to the Final Four for the third time in four years after trailing by as many as 19 points in the first half and still by double-digits with just over six minutes left. Tarris Reed Jr.’s 26 points kept the Huskies close and a flurry of 3-pointers in the final four minutes pushed them over the top. Cameron Boozer’s final college game ends with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the National Player of the Year frontrunner. — Jeff Borzello
How Michigan won: The Wolverines delivered a knockout blow in the first half and cruised from there, displaying the passing, offensive variety and overall depth that makes them a bona fide contender to win their first national title since 1989. Michigan never looked back after a 21-0 run, and matched Tennessee’s tempo and offensive aggression early in the second half to stretch out its lead. Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg was the best player at the Midwest regional, finishing with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and no turnovers against Tennessee. He received help from fellow transfers Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau, who had a game-high 10 assists.
Tennessee’s only chance was to supplement its offensive rebounding talent with strong perimeter shooting, but the Vols didn’t have nearly enough offensive outside of Ja’Kobi Gillespie (21 points) to avoid dropping their third straight Elite Eight matchup. Michigan moves on to Indianapolis and will face Arizona in the Final Four. — Adam Rittenberg
