Cayden Boozer has no one to blame but himself for Duke's heartbreaking loss to UConn in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
The smaller Boozer twin was responsible for the backbreaking turnover that led to UConn's game-winning 3-pointer with less than a second left. Cayden Boozer threw an errant pass with about 10 seconds remaining and Duke leading UConn, 72-70. UConn freshman Braylon Mullins then drilled a game-winning 3-pointer, sending the Huskies into the Final Four.
Duke, which at one point led by 19 points, has suffered a heartbreaking blown lead loss in a major NCAA Tournament game for the second year in a row. Last year, Duke suffered a late blown lead to Houston in the Final Four.
Even the NCAA Tournament's official account was amazed.
"OH MY GOODNESS 😱 UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE," the official X account shared.
Following the game, Cayden Boozer owned up to his mistake, speaking to reporters at the Elite Eight in Washington, D.C.
“I ruined our team’s season,” an emotional Cayden said in the locker room, per The Athletic’s Brendan Marks. “That’s the best I can put it.”
Cayden Boozer admitted that this could have been the final time he played with his brother, Cameron, who is expected to be a top-three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Jon Scheyer is not putting the blame on Cayden, though
The Duke head coach is not putting the blame on any single play.
“I look at every play that happened, especially in that second half, this is not about one play,” he said. “It's about every play that put us in that position, and that's what you don't want to do, where one play something could happen.
UConn is set to take on Illinois in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four this weekend.
