Many fans thought the Houston Cougars were finished when Duke expanded its lead to 14 with just over eight minutes remaining Saturday night. If you turned off your TV in the late going, you missed a comeback for the ages. Houston rallied, running off a 9-0 run in the final 35 seconds, stunning the Blue Devils, 70-67, to advance to Monday night’s championship game against Florida. The furious finish kept CBS announcers Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, and Grant Hill busy, especially during those final 3.7 seconds.
“Houston leads by two, Duke has no timeouts remaining,” Eagle said, right before Houston’s L.J. Cryer knocked down his second free throw. “So poised,” Raftery remarked. Then came Duke’s inbounds pass, hoping for a game-tying three-pointer. Hill must have been recalling his own miracle finish for Duke back in 1992 when he threw the long strike to Christian Laettner against Kentucky.
“Long one … James, knocked away! Knueppel … back outside, Proctor tosses it up, it’s no good!” Eagle called. “The dream remains alive for the Houston Cougars! A furious comeback to knock off Duke and advance to the national championship game! Incredibly rally … it’s over in San Antonio and the national championship is set.”
“THE DREAM REMAINS ALIVE FOR THE HOUSTON COUGARS! A FURIOUS COMEBACK TO KNOCK OFF DUKE AND ADVANCE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!” – Ian Eagle
“One of the most impressive comebacks I’ve ever seen.” – Grant Hill
“March Sadness for Duke and their fanbase.” – Ian Eagle 🏀🎙️ pic.twitter.com/8F2lm4Cs0A
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 6, 2025
“One of the most impressive comebacks I’ve ever seen,” Hill said. “Incredible,” Raftery agreed while highlighting Duke’s inability to handle the press effectively. “March Sadness for Duke and their fanbase,” Eagle concluded. Nice job by Eagle, Raftery, and Hill down the stretch, calling a finish that will live on in NCAA Tournament history.
