Concerning Duke trend only got worse after historically brutal Elite Eight loss to UConn

Duke’s ability to hold onto double-digit leads in big games is raising a red flag after Sunday’s stunning 73-72 loss to UConn in the Elite Eight. 

The Blue Devils watched a 19-point first-half lead disappear as the Huskies pulled off the comeback victory, marking the second consecutive year Duke had blown a double-digit lead in a crucial NCAA Tournament game. 

Last year, it was Houston that toppled Duke during the Final Four after the Blue Devils had held a 14-point lead before the Cougars wiped it away in the final eight minutes of the game. And both of Duke’s regular-season losses during the 2025-26 campaign saw them lose a lead of 13 or more points. 

Duke players react to their loss against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026. AP

Sunday’s heartbreak for Duke came after Braylon Mullins knocked down a 35-foot 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the game to pull off UConn’s comeback.

Mullins was able to hit the game-winner after a costly turnover at mid-court gave UConn back the ball in the closing seconds. 

“We just have to secure it, right?” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. “We got it. They had a foul. I was ready for a timeout. We’ve just got to hold on. It’s easy to look at that play — I look at every play that happened, especially in that second half, this is not about one play. It’s about every play that put us in that position, and that’s what you don’t want to do, where one play something could happen.”

Cayden Boozer #2 of the Duke Blue Devils walks off the court after being defeated by the UConn Huskies 73-72 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Getty Images

Duke had been clinging to a three-point lead with 10 seconds left against UConn and in the semifinals last year, the Blue Devils had been ahead by six with 1:14 before Houston pulled off its comeback. 

Duke is now the only No.1-seed to have ever lost a game in the tournament after leading by 15 or more points at halftime. 

No. 1 seeds had been 134-0 when leading by as much before Sunday night. 

“There’s not a person in this room, including me, that doesn’t replay everything that you could do and how you can help. I mean, obviously,” Scheyer said when asked if there was anything that he could have done differently on Sunday. “That’s part of being in this seat. That’s part of being in this spot. … End of the day, we’ve got to finish it off. We’ll reflect. We’ll learn, do all that.”