Duke’s March Madness dream collapsed in the Final Four as Houston mounted an electric comeback to advance to the national championship.
The Cougars scored the game’s final nine points in 33 seconds to stun the Blue Devils 70-67 and end Cooper Flagg’s college dream on Saturday night.
Houston stunned Duke to make the championship game for the first time since 1984GettyHouston had been sitting on the doorstep of the national championship game for over 40 years and lost seven straight Final Fours coming into the 2025 tournament — the most by any DI program in the country.
And with three minutes left in the match-up against the Blue Devils, the Cougars were nearing eight, trailing 64-55 with 2:15 remaining.
Yet, with a 3-pointer, a no-room-to-breathe defense and a bit of luck, Houston snapped its Final Four losing streak with a historic 11-1 comeback to reach their first title game since 1984.
But March Madness wasn’t supposed to end like this for Duke.
With Cooper Flagg, the projected No.1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, and a star-laden team around him, the Blue Devils were favorites to win the tournament.
In a men’s Final Four made up of all No. 1 seeds, the Blue Devils had attracted more bets and more money to win the title than any other school.
Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports had a particularly big wager on Duke in the form of a 4-pick parlay.
He had Cougars guard Emanuel Sharp to make three or more 3-pointers – check.
Portnoy also picked Kon Knueppel to get 15 or more points – check.
He backed Flagg to drop more than 20 points – check.
Flagg scored 27 points as Duke were beaten in the Final FourGetty Barstool founder Portnoy had plenty of money riding on the gameGettyAll Portnoy needed was Duke to win to turn his $25,000 bet into $193,750.
But the Blue Devils came up short, shattering his hopes.
“That’s crazy,” a stunned Portnoy said as he watched the Cougars secure an unlikely victory.
He then took to social media to declare Duke ‘choking dog losers’.
“That has to go down as one of the greatest chokes in history of sports,” he wrote on X.
“Congrats Duke. You will always be remembered as choking dog losers.”
Duke were favorites to win the tournament before they crashed out at the Final FourGettyView Tweet: t.co/pnPuH3LM3S
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He also took aim at fans blaming the loss on a late call on Flagg.
With seconds remaining, the 18-year-old was whistled for an over-the-back foul during a free throw attempt, a call that many believe changed the course of the game.
Replays showed minimal contact, and social media erupted with fans and analysts alike blasting the officiating.
“That was an absolute horrible foul call vs Cooper Flagg. No way. No way,” ESPN star Stephen A. Smith wrote on X.
Portnoy, though, was not convinced.
“Duke fans complaining about this foul call are babies,” he said, sharing a video of the incident.
“You blew it. You couldn’t inbound the ball. You dribbled it off your leg. (Tyrese) Proctor played hero ball and missed free throw.
“A million chances to seal it and you’re gonna blame the ref? Loser talk from losers.”
The Barstool founder would have turned $25,000 into over $193,000 had Duke held on to winX@stoolpresidente Duke have not won the men’s NCAA Tournament since 2015GettyHouston, who have never won a national title, will play Florida on Monday night after beating Duke in the Final Four.
The Gators, inspired by Walter Clayton Jr, secured a 79-73 win over Auburn in the early game.
Meanwhile, Flagg was visibly distraught and held back tears in what’s likely to be his final post-game press conference as a Blue Devil.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
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March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
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