INDIANAPOLIS — Braylon Mullins, the hero of March, banked in a 3 on Saturday night at the Final Four and reacted with a Jordan shrug.
The basketball gods were shining on UConn in one of the ugliest April games in the tournament’s history. Lots of missed bunnies, fumbled balls and jumpers that weren’t even close, but the second-seeded Huskies got enough rolls and enough Tarris Reed Jr. dominating in the post to survive for a 71-62 win that will have the program going for its third championship in four tries on Monday night. UConn can become only the third men’s program to pull it off: The two that have done it are UCLA (1964–1967, under John Wooden) and Kentucky (1948–1951, under Adolph Rupp).
The Huskies can thank their defense for helping them get there. The third-seeded Illini had a strategy of trying to pick on mismatches — defenders they label as “beards” — and attack the paint through drives, post-ups or booty ball. The team that shoots more pick-and-pop 3s than anyone in college basketball also went with a heavy diet of that action. Mostly, they got the shots they wanted. But most of those shots ended up rolling off the rim.
Illinois made just 6 of 26 3s, the second-worst clip this season, and shot 43.3 percent on 2s, also its second-worst rate of the season. The worst in both? A November loss to the Huskies.
The Huskies weren’t much better shooting the ball, making only 34.5 percent of their 2s, but they made enough 3s — 12 of 33 — and minimized turnovers (four) that the math worked out.
UConn generated some of its best looks off Reed post-ups, with the Illini eventually giving in to having to double-team Reed, who dominated the first half. He finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but he was even more valuable than that.
The Huskies did struggle to score down the stretch, but Mullins was clutch again, flying off a down screen with Illini star freshman Keaton Wagler trailing him and burying a 3 at the end of the shot clock that pushed UConn’s lead from four to seven.
Mullins, who had been in a long shooting slump before he played hero against Duke, finished with 15 points and made 4 of 7 3s, the first time he’s made at least four treys since Feb. 18. Solo Ball also had his best shooting game of the tournament, finishing with 13 points and making 3 of 7 3s. UConn has now won 19 straight games in the Sweet 16 or later in NCAA tournaments.
Wagler led his team with 20 points in what will likely be his final college game.
The Huskies will play the winner of Arizona-Michigan.
This story will be updated.
