A tipped pass from Cayden Boozer proved to be the difference on Sunday for Duke in their heavyweight NCAA Tournament matchup against UConn.
The younger Boozer twin could have virtually sealed a win for the top-seeded Blue Devils with an outlet pass past a desperate Huskies press, as Duke led 72-70 with just seconds left at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. His pass up court was deflected and stolen, leading to one of the most iconic shots in recent March Madness memory from UConn’s Braylon Mullins (video here).
Boozer sat dejected as he addressed the moment after the game.
“I turned the ball over. I should’ve been stronger with the ball,” Boozer told reporters huddled at his locker.
“Cost our team our season. … Coach said that we knew they were going to trap, and just be strong with the ball.”
Just left the Duke locker room. Whew, that was tough. Here is Cayden Boozer's initial reaction before the media became silent in giving him a break for a minute. Give Cayden Boozer credit for owning his mistakes and not hiding from the pain. Feel for this young man.💔👿🏀🗣⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DsEJmr4MVf
— Matt Giles (@MattGilesBD) March 30, 2026
Boozer was rock-solid for most of the contest, just as he has been for Duke since Caleb Foster went down with an injury earlier this month. He tallied 15 points on 4/5 shooting with 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and a pair of steals. Cayden was Duke’s second-leading scorer behind his brother Cam’s 27 points.
None of that mattered Sunday after the buzzer sounded. Duke had every opportunity to win the battle of the blue bloods, leading by as many as 19 points and maintaining a double-digit advantage late in the second half.
Had Cayden’s pass not been deflected, Duke would have had an uncontested dunk to end the game. He could have also opted to keep the ball and wait for UConn to foul him, which would have sent him to the free-throw line. But March Madness does not deal in what-ifs — only heartbreak on one side and jubilation on the other.
