Braylon Mullins elevated UConn’s offense. What’s next is ‘a blessing in itself’

INDIANAPOLIS — You can sum up Braylon Mullins’ first Lucas Oil Stadium shooting performance like this: a near-dagger and a tongue-wagger.

Six days after becoming a national name with his last-second, game-winning 3-pointer vs. Duke, Mullins scored 15 points in a 71-62 UConn victory over Illinois. The Huskies will play for their third national championship in four years Monday against either Michigan or Arizona. 

It was exactly the scenario Mullins envision when he committed to the Huskies in a ceremony at Greenfield-Central less than 18 months earlier. 

“These are the moments you play for, and knowing how far and how long this season has been, just to be a part of the national championship – I think that’s a blessing in itself,” Mullins said. 

“But we came here to win, so we’re ready for Monday.” 

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Mullins made 4 of 7 from behind the arc – two of which came at crucial junctures. 

Last things first. Mullins had missed all five of his shots in a scoreless second half when Illinois’ Keaton Wagler scored with 1:38 remaining. It cut the UConn lead – as high as 14 points with under 10 minutes to play – to 63-59. 

After a timeout, UConn’s Alex Karaban missed a late shot clock 3, but Silas Demary Jr. grabbed the rebound. The Huskies reset their offense, and Demary later found Mullins, who hit a 3 from the elbow to make it a seven-point game with 52.1 seconds remaining. 

“The play got broken down, and we run sets with under 5, 10 seconds on the shot clock,” Mullins said. “I just saw a little bit of separation, and we work on that shot in practice every day, so it just felt like repetition.” 

Wagler responded with a 3 on the ensuing possession. Illinois, however, could never make a basket after cutting the lead to two possessions in the final two minutes. 

The double-digit lead UConn opened up in the first half had the Illini chasing all night. Mullins snuck one in before halftime to help the cause. 

That possession, off an Illinois turnover, began to run late in the shot clock as well. Mullins was aware of the clock, thought he saw a sliver of daylight and took a deep shot – similar to the one he swished in the Elite Eight. 

It bounced off the center of the backboard and through the hoop for a 37-27 UConn lead with 47 seconds left in the half. Mullins headed back up the floor smiling, shaking his head and letting that tongue wag a bit. 

“If you see a little window, you’ve gotta shoot it,” Mullins said. “I did not call glass, though – but it went in.” 

Mullins scored only two points in 10 minutes when UConn and Illinois played at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 28. It was his collegiate debut after the 2025 IndyStar Mr. Basketball missed the first six games with an ankle injury. 

Some of the Huskies’ other trusty shooters struggled Saturday. Demary, Alex Karaban and Jaylin Stewart combined to make 3 of 17. Mullins was a big reason why 3-point shooting became one of the night’s decisive elements. UConn finished 12 of 33, while Illinois made only 6 of 26. 

Jayden Ross said teammate Jaylin Stewart called Mullins’ final 3 as they sat together on the bench. 

“Sure enough, he came off the pin-down and he knocked it down,” Ross said. “He put us in a great spot to pull away. He just gives us great confidence. But he’s also an unselfish player, and he plays real hard on the defensive end too, so he does a little bit of everything.” 

UConn will need Mullins’ clutch abilities one more time. 

Nathan Baird is IndyStar’s Purdue insider. Sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter for the best Purdue coverage.