Chris Hurley’s Reaction to Braylon Mullins’ Game-Winning Shot

If you saw Braylon Mullins and Bill Lafferty reacting to Mullins’ game-winning three-pointer on Sunday, they were definitely emotional. But there was an even bigger reaction happening in Capital One Arena that day.

This wasn’t from another UConn player or even a casual fan in the stands. It came from Dan Hurley’s mother, Christine.

A replay showed Mullins’ shot hitting the net, zooming right in on Christine’s face.

When that ball went in, she raised her hands excitedly, her mouth wide open in disbelief. Then she, well, spoke three words.

“Oh my god,” Christine exclaimed, standing next to her husband, Bob, who is a well-known coach at St. Anthony High School.

Mullins’ shot and UW’s incredible victory sent shockwaves through the college basketball community.

With just ten seconds left, Duke was leading by two. Kayden Boozer received the ball near the center and tried to pass over two defenders to a teammate. But his pass got deflected and was caught in mid-air by Mullins, who then sunk a three-pointer from the March Madness logo, shifting the score to 73-72 with only 0.4 seconds remaining.

This late-game advantage was impressive, especially given that Duke had a 15-point lead at halftime, which had even swelled to 19 in the first half.

For the second consecutive year, the Blue Devils faltered with a big lead, failing to make it to the title game.

After the game, Hurley wasted no time celebrating. He rushed into the locker room wearing nothing but a towel while players splashed water everywhere.

The Huskies pulled off a narrow victory, advancing to the Final Four for the third time in four years—a significant comeback after last year’s second-round exit.

Under Hurley’s leadership since 2018, UConn has now made it to the NCAA Tournament for six straight years.

The Huskies claimed back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, marking Hurley’s first championship run as a head coach.

Looking ahead, he could add more titles in 2026, potentially solidifying his status as one of the top coaches out there.

If the Huskies reach that level again, they’ll meet No. 3 seed Illinois in the Final Four, and the winner will go on to face either No. 1 seed Michigan or No. 1 Arizona in the national championship game.

And you can be sure, Hurley’s mom will be right there cheering him on through it all.