Duke Blue Devils guard Cayden Boozer was on the wrong side of a crucial play at the end of Sunday’s Elite 8 matchup against the UConn Huskies. With a two-point lead and ten seconds on the clock, Boozer was double-teamed in the backcourt and threw a bad pass that was tipped.
UConn’s Braylon Mullins recovered the ball before knocking down an incredible 35-foot bomb to give the Huskies a one-point lead and ultimately, the victory.
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Shortly after the loss, Boozer gave a heartbreaking reaction to reporters.
“I turned the ball over. I should have been strong with the ball,” Boozer told the media. “I cost our team our season.”
He went on to say that he would likely think about that fateful play for the rest of his life.
Boozer had a strong outing up to that moment and finished with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Sunday’s loss showed that sometimes a player can play nearly perfect basketball for an entire tournament, but one spur-of-the-moment mistake can be what decides it all.
Ultimately, the Blue Devils found themselves on the wrong side of history. They are now the first one-seed ever to lose in the NCAA Tournament after leading by 15 points or more at halftime.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
