UConn's Saving Grace

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

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On Sunday night, the UConn men’s basketball team went up against the top-seeded Duke. It seems that everyone and their mother watched the vital moment that skyrocketed UConn to the final four. However, shots like these aren’t uncommon in the tournament, and oftentimes each year the tournament will have its “shot heard around the world”.

The UConn game was almost over before it could even start. The men’s run through this year's bracket hasn’t been easy, and many of their games were too close for comfort for fans. Their game against Michigan State, at first, looked like a clear-cut win, but following the first half, the UConn men were struggling to keep that lead. Fans were worried heading into the Duke game for this reason. It seemed in the first half that those worries were justified, because going into the second half, UConn was down 29-44. Slowly but surely, they began to fight their way back. Making a shot here and there. It wasn’t until the last couple of seconds that Braylon Mullins made that now infamous three-pointer to finish the game 73-72. This shot was wild, as for fans, it seemed like UConn's odds of victory were bleak. It’s not the first or last time this tournament has seen “Hail Mary” shots. They're more common than you think. Let's look into some of the most famous examples.

Many say this is the greatest game ever. Those who are Kentucky fans are still trying to get over it. A game that came down to the last 2.1 seconds, sending Duke into the Final Four. The game was close in the end, Kentucky's own Sean Wood was able to put a basket to increase their lead by one singular point. With two seconds left in the game, many would panic, but not Duke. Grant Hill threw a dime of a pass more than half court to Christian Laettner, who faked right, and hit a jumper to push Duke into the lead, ending the game with a final score of 104-103. This game marked Duke’s fifth consecutive trip to the final four and followed an NCAA win the previous year. This shot is still widely considered the greatest shot in college basketball, for the sole reason of the drama of it all. For the comeback and with the clock ticking away, Duke was able to hit an almost impossible shot. It is definitely a sports moment that lives on for the better, or if you are a Kentucky fan, for the worst. 

In 2016, a heated match-up between Villanova and North Carolina. The game itself was intense, both teams battling it out for a lead, even to the bitter end. It was the last 13 seconds that started the chaos. North Carolina’s Brice Johnson caused a foul against Josh Hart, who made both his free throws, making the score 74-71. Many thought it was over for North Carolina, following a timeout taken by Villanova, it was Marcus Paige who hit a three-pointer, tying the game with six seconds left. It looked as if this game was going to be thrown into overtime, but in March Madness fashion, that could not happen. With four seconds on the clock, Villanova took a timeout, collecting and processing the next play, and boy, did this help. With an outstanding second left on the clock, Kris Jenkins was able to make a three-pointer shot with the help of his teammate Ryan Arcidiacono, officially ending the game 77-74 and leading Villanova to victory. 

While all seem similar, they are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for players and fans. To either watch your team go down in victory or defeat, it is something that is only brought to life by the season of March Madness. Now heading into the Final Four match-ups, every team should have on their mind the possibility of losing to a “Hail Mary”.