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wsb3
03-30-2015, 06:26 PM
As a long time Duke fan my favorite will always be the first national championship..I waited a long time & suffered through seven previous final fours waiting for that elusive NC.

To get to that Monday night game they beat Vegas on this date 24 years ago today.

I watched it alone as I did every game during the tourney. When it concluded on that Saturday night I walked into my garage and screamed for ten minutes in relief. My best dog ever, Pete, a mixed black lab looked at me with great concern. Remarkable that after that win Coach K was able to get them to refocus for "Next Play." It started immediately after the buzzer sounded. I will never forget him with the palms down instructing his team to stop celebrating. They had one more to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjJP2epDtbE

BigWayne
03-30-2015, 06:30 PM
I was seated at the 3rd seat from the end of the bar on the 2nd floor of some house in Buckhead (Atlanta) that was being run by Duke alumni as a bar. It was closed by the next year, but was a great spot to watch the games in the spring of 91.

rfaison
03-30-2015, 06:56 PM
As a long time Duke fan my favorite will always be the first national championship..I waited a long time & suffered through seven previous final fours waiting for that elusive NC.

To get to that Monday night game they beat Vegas on this date 24 years ago today.

I watched it alone as I did every game during the tourney. When it concluded on that Saturday night I walked into my garage and screamed for ten minutes in relief. My best dog ever, Pete, a mixed black lab looked at me with great concern. Remarkable that after that win Coach K was able to get them to refocus for "Next Play." It started immediately after the buzzer sounded. I will never forget him with the palms down instructing his team to stop celebrating. They had one more to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjJP2epDtbE

I'm with you. That's my favorite as well (I can still hear Brent Musburger saying - seemingly every other minute - during Final Fours until we finally won "Duke's the team that been to FF the most times without ever winning a NC - grrrr) and I also remember that scene along with Bobby Hurley running down the hallway to the locker room shouting "we have one more, we have one more".

And a story that came out later when Christian and Brian came onto the bus to go Sunday practice wearing some sort of bold/gaudy/??? hats and later K used that as part of his "I don't like your attitude ..." talk with/at them to bring them back to the business at hand.

I was thinking about the UNLV game during Notre Dame-UK game and wondering how his experience on the bench as K's assistant may have been something Mike Brey drew on to prepare his team and himself. Such a similar game in many ways.

Merlindevildog91
03-30-2015, 07:35 PM
I was in an apartment in Central Campus with a couple more law school students and some friends/spouses/significant others. We had burgers and beer. When we won, we agreed to wear the same clothing and sit in the same seats for the championship game as we had for the semifinal.

For me, the week preceding the game was most memorable because my classmate Tim and I decided to go to the Chapel and pray for success. I picked up a pew Bible and opened it at random to the story of David and Goliath.

moonpie23
03-30-2015, 08:49 PM
i sat down to watch that game with a very pessimistic outlook. The previous title game still lingered. I told my girlfriend that we were going to get smeared again.

with two min to go, i was a full tilt cray cray.....

dukelifer
03-30-2015, 09:18 PM
i sat down to watch that game with a very pessimistic outlook. The previous title game still lingered. I told my girlfriend that we were going to get smeared again.

with two min to go, i was a full tilt cray cray.....

With under 2:30 to go- Duke was down 5 and Hurley hits a huge 3 without hesitation to cut it to 2 - Duke forces a shot clock violation on the next possession. On an assist from G Hill, Davis drives the baseline and gets fouled with about a minute to go. He makes the free throw. Johnson - an excellent free throw shooter- misses both but there was a lane violation by T Hill and Johnson makes the free throw to tie. Duke holds - T Hill drives for a short jumper- misses and Laettner gets the rebound and gets fouled. After a time out- he calmly hits 2 to go up by 1. 12.7 secs left- UNLV looks to get the last shot- Hunt with Hurley on him takes a long 3 that hits back iron- Hurley grabs the bound and Duke wins!

Brian Davis was huge in that game at the end. Had a couple of dunks, the defensive play that forced the shot clock violation and the drive to go up by one.

In case you were wondering- I did not remember all this. Decided to rewatch the last few minutes- enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csETfUrD6ME

Stray Gator
03-30-2015, 10:06 PM
With under 2:30 to go- Duke was down 5 and Hurley hits a huge 3 without hesitation to cut it to 2 - Duke forces a shot clock violation on the next possession. On an assist from G Hill, Davis drives the baseline and gets fouled with about a minute to go. He makes the free throw. Johnson - an excellent free throw shooter- misses both but there was a lane violation by T Hill and Johnson makes the free throw to tie. Duke holds - T Hill drives for a short jumper- misses and Laettner gets the rebound and gets fouled. After a time out- he calmly hits 2 to go up by 1. 12.7 secs left- UNLV looks to get the last shot- Hunt with Hurley on him takes a long 3 that hits back iron- Hurley grabs the bound and Duke wins!

Brian Davis was huge in that game at the end. Had a couple of dunks, the defensive play that forced the shot clock violation and the drive to go up by one.

In case you were wondering- I did not remember all this. Decided to rewatch the last few minutes- enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csETfUrD6ME

I was fortunate enough to be at the game, sitting in the corner of the lower level Duke section with my 12-year-old son. Two moments remain indelibly impressed upon my memory.

First, when UNLV went up by 5 under 3 minutes -- a lead which, in the context of that game, seemed insurmountable -- I turned to my son with a sense of resignation and some consoling words about what an unexpectedly valiant effort this Duke team had given to hang with an undefeated team that was being touted as one of the greatest ever; at that very instant, Hurley surprised everyone in the Hoosier Dome by dribbling up to the top of the key where he normally started the offense and simply launching a three-point shot. When it fell through, it sent a shock wave through the building, because just as everyone was beginning to exhale and settle back to watch what seemed a foregone conclusion to the game, that shot brought the crowd back to the edge of their seats. And when a couple of the UNLV players looked up at the game clock, a sense welled up that somehow the anticipated ending had just been rewritten.

Second, when Laettner was fouled with the score tied and 12.7 seconds left -- remember, he had put up a shot that went in, but it was waved off due to the foul being committed before the shot, which evoked an audible sigh from the Duke section -- after the time out, I'll never forget watching him stand at the free throw line looking up at the basket while waiting to be handed the ball. I remember thinking at that instant that the pressure he must be feeling was unimaginable. Yet he calmly drained both free throws -- drawing no iron at all. At that point, even though there remained 12.7 seconds on the clock, I think everyone in the arena knew that UNLV would fail to score. The way the game had played out in that last three minutes, the hand of fate was manifest, and the outcome was inescapable.

This weekend will mark my third trip to Indy to see Duke play in a Final Four. I'm hoping that, like the first two, this one ends with our guys standing onstage, enjoying their own shining moment -- and that all of us who have the good fortune to be Duke fans come away with yet another collection of indelible memories.

Newton_14
03-30-2015, 10:20 PM
With under 2:30 to go- Duke was down 5 and Hurley hits a huge 3 without hesitation to cut it to 2 - Duke forces a shot clock violation on the next possession. On an assist from G Hill, Davis drives the baseline and gets fouled with about a minute to go. He makes the free throw. Johnson - an excellent free throw shooter- misses both but there was a lane violation by T Hill and Johnson makes the free throw to tie. Duke holds - T Hill drives for a short jumper- misses and Laettner gets the rebound and gets fouled. After a time out- he calmly hits 2 to go up by 1. 12.7 secs left- UNLV looks to get the last shot- Hunt with Hurley on him takes a long 3 that hits back iron- Hurley grabs the bound and Duke wins!

Brian Davis was huge in that game at the end. Had a couple of dunks, the defensive play that forced the shot clock violation and the drive to go up by one.

In case you were wondering- I did not remember all this. Decided to rewatch the last few minutes- enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csETfUrD6ME

Just one correction. Laettner's free throws put Duke up by 2 not 1. That last possession by UNLV showed how much it hurt them to not have been in a close game all year. They panicked. Larry Johnson had a great look from 3, but turned it down and dribbled inside the line where he had a good look from 2, but also turned that down, leading to Hunt having to jack up the desperation 3 that bricked.

That Hurley 3 was the biggest shot in Duke's history in my opinion and revealed just how great of player he was. Like you said he never hesitated and drained it. If that shot does not go in and UNLV rebounds it's game over in my opinion. They were so hard to beat and Duke had to play at the highest of high levels to pull it off.

Amazing game. The driving 3 point play by Brian Davis was huge too, as was obviously, Laettner's foul shots.

wilson
03-30-2015, 10:47 PM
I love this thread, because it's emblematic of how Duke basketball has been one of the touchstones of my life. I was 8 years old, and I'll still never forget exactly where I was in the house where my mother still lives.

Tom B.
03-31-2015, 12:44 AM
I was fortunate enough to be at the game, sitting in the corner of the lower level Duke section with my 12-year-old son. Two moments remain indelibly impressed upon my memory.

First, when UNLV went up by 5 under 3 minutes -- a lead which, in the context of that game, seemed insurmountable -- I turned to my son with a sense of resignation and some consoling words about what an unexpectedly valiant effort this Duke team had given to hang with an undefeated team that was being touted as one of the greatest ever; at that very instant, Hurley surprised everyone in the Hoosier Dome by dribbling up to the top of the key where he normally started the offense and simply launching a three-point shot. When it fell through, it sent a shock wave through the building, because just as everyone was beginning to exhale and settle back to watch what seemed a foregone conclusion to the game, that shot brought the crowd back to the edge of their seats. And when a couple of the UNLV players looked up at the game clock, a sense welled up that somehow the anticipated ending had just been rewritten.

Second, when Laettner was fouled with the score tied and 12.7 seconds left -- remember, he had put up a shot that went in, but it was waved off due to the foul being committed before the shot, which evoked an audible sigh from the Duke section -- after the time out, I'll never forget watching him stand at the free throw line looking up at the basket while waiting to be handed the ball. I remember thinking at that instant that the pressure he must be feeling was unimaginable. Yet he calmly drained both free throws -- drawing no iron at all. At that point, even though there remained 12.7 seconds on the clock, I think everyone in the arena knew that UNLV would fail to score. The way the game had played out in that last three minutes, the hand of fate was manifest, and the outcome was inescapable.

This weekend will mark my third trip to Indy to see Duke play in a Final Four. I'm hoping that, like the first two, this one ends with our guys standing onstage, enjoying their own shining moment -- and that all of us who have the good fortune to be Duke fans come away with yet another collection of indelible memories.


I was there, too -- as a student. My freshman year.

One thing I remember was the sensation in the arena leading up to the tipoff, as the teams warmed up. Even before the game started, there was a palpable tension and crackle in the air, like everyone was thinking, "Maybe we might just see something tonight," but nobody was willing to say it out loud. Then the game starts, and we get a layup by Grant Hill off the opening tip. Holy crap, we're ahead! About 5 seconds later, Anderson Hunt drains a three-pointer. Well, so much for that. But on Duke's next possession, Laettner hits a three-pointer. Then we score again, and again, and again, and before you know it, we're up by nine, 15-6. This....cannot....be.....happening! UNLV scores once more before the first TV timeout, so now it's 15-8 and there's a break in the action. For probably the first time since the opening tip, everyone in the arena exhales. Game....f--king....on.

Coming out of the TV timeout, Tarkanian hits us with the amoeba defense. Boom, a 10-3 UNLV run, and we're tied at 18. The rest of the way, it was nip and tuck -- I don't think either team led by more than four at any point, until UNLV went up by five late, just before Hurley hit The Three. After that, well....you know.

SoCalDukeFan
03-31-2015, 01:14 AM
I went to the golf course the next game. Saw one of the older members who was not aware of the outcome. Told him Duke had won, he did not believe me.

The Hurley 3 is the biggest shot in Duke basketball history. BTW Billy Packer said Duke did not need a 3 at that time.

Laettner's foul shots were huge.

SoCal

ice-9
03-31-2015, 01:40 AM
That Hurley 3 was the biggest shot in Duke's history in my opinion and revealed just how great of player he was.

Grant Hill to Christian Laettner?

Edouble
03-31-2015, 01:43 AM
Grant Hill to Christian Laettner?

Well, Coach K has said several times that Hurley's 3 was the biggest shot in Duke history.

wsb3
03-31-2015, 06:16 AM
I went to the golf course the next game. Saw one of the older members who was not aware of the outcome. Told him Duke had won, he did not believe me.

The Hurley 3 is the biggest shot in Duke basketball history. BTW Billy Packer said Duke did not need a 3 at that time.

Laettner's foul shots were huge.

SoCal

Agree with Coach K & you that it was the biggest shot in Duke history. I remember when UNLV went up by 5, which I think was their biggest lead, I thought well we have given it a great run & it seems that Billy Packer did not get to finish his sentence that, "Duke did not need a 3," before Hurley had launched it & I remember okay, we are right here. This might just be our time. Only thing that would have been better if it that was the National Championship Game.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
03-31-2015, 06:23 AM
Was visiting my grandmother (God rest her soul) in Sanford, NC. Remember sitting on her living room floor watching with her, my parents, and my uncle. I remember my disbelief (still my overwhelming takeaway from the end of that game) that Larry Johnson didn't take his shot at the end. I remember two days later (at age 12) thinking that FINALLY Duke had won a national championship and my long nightmare was over. :)

DU82
03-31-2015, 07:05 AM
Grant Hill to Christian Laettner?

Without Hurley's three, I don't think you have Duke-Kentucky the next year.

Probably better to call The Three the most important shot in Duke ball history.

dukelifer
03-31-2015, 07:35 AM
Just one correction. Laettner's free throws put Duke up by 2 not 1. That last possession by UNLV showed how much it hurt them to not have been in a close game all year. They panicked. Larry Johnson had a great look from 3, but turned it down and dribbled inside the line where he had a good look from 2, but also turned that down, leading to Hunt having to jack up the desperation 3 that bricked.

That Hurley 3 was the biggest shot in Duke's history in my opinion and revealed just how great of player he was. Like you said he never hesitated and drained it. If that shot does not go in and UNLV rebounds it's game over in my opinion. They were so hard to beat and Duke had to play at the highest of high levels to pull it off.

Amazing game. The driving 3 point play by Brian Davis was huge too, as was obviously, Laettner's foul shots.

Thanks for the assist ;) In that last stretch of the game- Grant - the Freshman- made two boneheaded turnovers. He also made a couple of big plays- a big steal for a layin and got some tough rebounds. But if you watch the two teams- Duke looked like a college team and UNLV looked like pros. They were so long and fast. Duke was clearly holding on for dear life. UNLV lost Davis several times and he delivered. It was a team effort and Duke made big plays and UNLV panicked a bit at the end. Larry Johnson's poor decision was huge for Duke. He not only hesitated but put Hunt in a horrible position to make a play. But in the end the good guys won.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
03-31-2015, 08:58 AM
With under 2:30 to go- Duke was down 5 and Hurley hits a huge 3 without hesitation to cut it to 2 - Duke forces a shot clock violation on the next possession. On an assist from G Hill, Davis drives the baseline and gets fouled with about a minute to go. He makes the free throw. Johnson - an excellent free throw shooter- misses both but there was a lane violation by T Hill and Johnson makes the free throw to tie. Duke holds - T Hill drives for a short jumper- misses and Laettner gets the rebound and gets fouled. After a time out- he calmly hits 2 to go up by 1. 12.7 secs left- UNLV looks to get the last shot- Hunt with Hurley on him takes a long 3 that hits back iron- Hurley grabs the bound and Duke wins!

Brian Davis was huge in that game at the end. Had a couple of dunks, the defensive play that forced the shot clock violation and the drive to go up by one.

In case you were wondering- I did not remember all this. Decided to rewatch the last few minutes- enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csETfUrD6ME

Takeaways - yes, huge shot by Hurley. Also, how much better was gameflow back in the day at the end of games? I believe it was just two timeouts in the last four minutes, no breaks to discuss the upcoming 60 Minutes or the hot new comedy on CBS, etc.

Wow, still gives me chills. Also, love Coach K immediately - IMMEDIATELY telling the guys to settle down. I mean, it didn't work, what with Hurley riding shoulders into the locker room.

Also one of my favorite things that happens in sports... the SILENCE of announcers in a big moment. Really amplifies it for me. "We don't need to say anything, because you can see how awesome this is."

Thanks for helping me relive history!

79-77
03-31-2015, 09:02 AM
I'm an adult with 3 sports teams I've really cared about for most of my life.

There will never be another game like that one.

And that's OK, because it was worth it.

Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15
03-31-2015, 09:04 AM
I'm an adult with 3 sports teams I've really cared about for most of my life.

There will never be another game like that one.

And that's OK, because it was worth it.

I might have guessed you were partial to this game for some reason.

And I think you are correct. Even if we advance to play undefeated Kentucky, it won't carry the same meaning. The Duke program is in such a different place now than it was then. If anything, it would provide a fantastic bookend to Duke/Coach K's last 25 years. What has happened in the interim is nothing short of extraordinary.

ancienteagle
03-31-2015, 09:15 AM
I'm an adult with 3 sports teams I've really cared about for most of my life.

There will never be another game like that one.

And that's OK, because it was worth it.



UNLV entered the game as overall #1 seed at 34-0, with a 45-game winning streak, and were defending national champions.
They were led by Johnson, the National Player of the Year. Sounds like Kentucky?

Also, I remember being so pumped that UNC had just lost, and Dean got himself thrown out of the game!
Didn't let my Carolina friends forget that one for a long, long time

Tom B.
03-31-2015, 11:43 AM
The Hurley 3 is the biggest shot in Duke basketball history. BTW Billy Packer said Duke did not need a 3 at that time.




The ball actually swished through the net just as Packer said "three," so he extended the thought and said, "....and Hurley hits one there, because it was available."

79-77
03-31-2015, 11:47 AM
I might have guessed you were partial to this game for some reason.

And I think you are correct. Even if we advance to play undefeated Kentucky, it won't carry the same meaning. The Duke program is in such a different place now than it was then. If anything, it would provide a fantastic bookend to Duke/Coach K's last 25 years. What has happened in the interim is nothing short of extraordinary.


UNLV entered the game as overall #1 seed at 34-0, with a 45-game winning streak, and were defending national champions.
They were led by Johnson, the National Player of the Year. Sounds like Kentucky?

Also, I remember being so pumped that UNC had just lost, and Dean got himself thrown out of the game!
Didn't let my Carolina friends forget that one for a long, long time

It does indeed sound a bit like Kentucky, but I think Mountain Devil has it right -- things are different now. In 1991, Duke had reached the Final 4 5 times in 6 years, and there was an increasing amount of blather about how Coach K couldn't win the big one.

There was also the small matter of losing to UNLV by 30 in the previous year's title game -- and it was pretty much the same UNLV team that was 35-0 and being talked about as an all-time great team in 1991 (and there was also plenty of overlap between the 1990 and 1991 Duke teams, although not as much as on the UNLV side).

Duke in 1991 was not taken seriously as a threat to UNLV (the Hurley quote in my signature references an actual pre-Final 4 headline). If Duke-Kentucky occurs on Monday night, I think quite a few neutral observers -- less than a majority, to be sure, but still a respectable number -- will pick Duke to win or at least think Duke has a decent chance. And why not? Kentucky is loaded but is their top 3 really better than Okafor-Winslow-Jones?

If Duke-Kentucky happens on Monday night, Duke will be underdogs, and a win would be thrilling and unforgettable. It just wouldn't be, IMHO, as seminal as the Vegas game.

aimo
03-31-2015, 11:50 AM
A friend and I tried to get into Satisfaction's, but the crowd was spilling out the door (still in Lakewood, a third of the size it is now). Ended up at the Hideaway, sitting on a table watching the game on a TINY screen on the other side of the room. It was awesome. After the game, there were naked people running around outside. Good times!

Newton_14
03-31-2015, 12:51 PM
Grant Hill to Christian Laettner? Sorry, forgot the qualifier. It was the biggest shot in Duke History at that point and time. Sorry that did not come out right the first time.

wsb3
03-30-2017, 08:43 AM
26 years ago.. My favorite Duke non National Championship Victory ever. One of those games I tend to pull out & watch annually. Many of us waited a long time for what followed two nights later..

DUKE 79 UNLV 77

ballfour
03-30-2017, 10:11 PM
That last possession by UNLV showed how much it hurt them to not have been in a close game all year. They panicked.

I agree. Greg Anthony fouling out really hurt UNLV - they had no idea what to do with him not on the court.

One other thing that sticks in my mind - I think the line on this game was merely UNLV -4 or -4.5. It's a glorious win and one as a Duke fan I always cherish, but I think the "upset" nature of the outcome is a little overdone in the mainstream media. That Duke team was loaded and at least Vegas fully realized it, if not Nevada Las-Vegas. Yes, it's an upset. It's not Miracle on Ice or NC State over Houston. It's one very good basketball team beating another damn good basketball team.

Troublemaker
03-30-2017, 10:22 PM
I agree. Greg Anthony fouling out really hurt UNLV - they had no idea what to do with him not on the court.

One other thing that sticks in my mind - I think the line on this game was merely UNLV -4 or -4.5. It's a glorious win and one as a Duke fan I always cherish, but I think the "upset" nature of the outcome is a little overdone in the mainstream media. That Duke team was loaded and at least Vegas fully realized it, if not Nevada Las-Vegas. Yes, it's an upset. It's not Miracle on Ice or NC State over Houston. It's one very good basketball team beating another damn good basketball team.

Maybe at a local bookie. But Vegas sportsbooks didn't offer lines for games involving Nevada teams until 2001.

ballfour
03-30-2017, 10:28 PM
Maybe at a local bookie. But Vegas sportsbooks didn't offer lines for games involving Nevada teams until 2001.

Good point. I just remember looking in my local paper (the Boston Globe) and seeing "UNLV -4" on the scoreboard page. My bet, as always, was with my heart.

mr. synellinden
03-30-2017, 10:35 PM
I'm reasonably certain that it was about a 9 point spread. UNLV was thought of at the time as almost unbeatable. Similar to UK in 2015 but even more dominant.

ballfour
03-31-2017, 01:07 AM
I'm reasonably certain that it was about a 9 point spread. UNLV was thought of at the time as almost unbeatable. Similar to UK in 2015 but even more dominant.

I wish better records for this type of thing existed - it's a great measure of perception. I found one online piece that said the line was -9.5 at one point and shrunk to -6 by gameday (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-02-15/sports/1992046076_1_las-vegas-banker-vegas-players). My memory of seeing -4 in the paper feels crystalized, because I remember thinking it seemed low to me. Maybe (probably) I'm misremembering. If anyone else has intel here, I'd love to hear it.

For what it's worth, here's one source with a list of lines for NCAA Finals (http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/history/championship/) (1990 is omitted; the list dates back to 1985, Villanova-Georgetown. Nine seems a little low in that game, perhaps, but it was the era before the 3-point shot and a shot clock. I still can't believe NCAA basketball was played without a shot clock for so long - it's a miracle Dean Smith and others didn't kill basketball, through their stalling game.)

mr. synellinden
03-31-2017, 02:13 AM
I wish better records for this type of thing existed - it's a great measure of perception. I found one online piece that said the line was -9.5 at one point and shrunk to -6 by gameday (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-02-15/sports/1992046076_1_las-vegas-banker-vegas-players). My memory of seeing -4 in the paper feels crystalized, because I remember thinking it seemed low to me. Maybe (probably) I'm misremembering. If anyone else has intel here, I'd love to hear it.

For what it's worth, here's one source with a list of lines for NCAA Finals (http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/history/championship/) (1990 is omitted; the list dates back to 1985, Villanova-Georgetown. Nine seems a little low in that game, perhaps, but it was the era before the 3-point shot and a shot clock. I still can't believe NCAA basketball was played without a shot clock for so long - it's a miracle Dean Smith and others didn't kill basketball, through their stalling game.)

LA Times story (http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-14/sports/sp-2218_1_unlv-president-robert-maxson) which had the line at 9.5, which is my recollection. I never heard about it being bet down to 6, but I don't have any reason to believe it's not true. The point is it was and probably still is considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history even if there were games with bigger spreads where the underdog won.

Duke79UNLV77
03-31-2017, 12:34 PM
As my name would suggest, I quite enjoyed that game. And was lucky enough to attend it.

wsb3
03-31-2017, 01:09 PM
As my name would suggest, I quite enjoyed that game. And was lucky enough to attend it.

Always liked your name..😁

Troublemaker
03-31-2017, 03:11 PM
I wish better records for this type of thing existed - it's a great measure of perception. I found one online piece that said the line was -9.5 at one point and shrunk to -6 by gameday (http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-02-15/sports/1992046076_1_las-vegas-banker-vegas-players). My memory of seeing -4 in the paper feels crystalized, because I remember thinking it seemed low to me. Maybe (probably) I'm misremembering. If anyone else has intel here, I'd love to hear it.

For what it's worth, here's one source with a list of lines for NCAA Finals (http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/history/championship/) (1990 is omitted; the list dates back to 1985, Villanova-Georgetown. Nine seems a little low in that game, perhaps, but it was the era before the 3-point shot and a shot clock. I still can't believe NCAA basketball was played without a shot clock for so long - it's a miracle Dean Smith and others didn't kill basketball, through their stalling game.)


LA Times story (http://articles.latimes.com/1992-02-14/sports/sp-2218_1_unlv-president-robert-maxson) which had the line at 9.5, which is my recollection. I never heard about it being bet down to 6, but I don't have any reason to believe it's not true. The point is it was and probably still is considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history even if there were games with bigger spreads where the underdog won.

Adding a supporting link (http://www.espn.com/gen/s/2001/0210/1077033.html) just so you guys don't think I'm crazy when I say you could not bet on the Duke-UNLV game at Vegas sportsbooks. (Ballfour's second link above also confirms it, which is why the 1990 final was omitted.)

So what was the point spread that you saw in the newspaper, whether it was 9.5 or 6 or 4? Probably the LVSC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Roxy_Roxborough) line, which was syndicated to newspapers nationally.

Now, having said that, I'm sure plenty of betting did occur on the Duke-UNLV game. They just occurred at unsanctioned locals.

Rich
04-01-2017, 12:25 AM
And 26 years later to the day, perhaps the biggest upset in Women's College Basketball history. Miss St. defeats UConn in Final Four to end their 111 game winning streak.

Final (OT): Mississippi State 66, Connecticut 64

gep
04-01-2017, 12:42 AM
... which is now the female counterpart to Christian...

mr. synellinden
04-01-2017, 01:03 AM
Yeah, but what was the point spread?

dukelifer
04-01-2017, 08:02 AM
And 26 years later to the day, perhaps the biggest upset in Women's College Basketball history. Miss St. defeats UConn in Final Four to end their 111 game winning streak.

Final (OT): Mississippi State 66, Connecticut 64

Basketball gods- they do exist

DU82
04-01-2017, 10:33 AM
... which is now the female counterpart to Christian...

Not really. The game was tied, and it wasn't a 2.1 second full court play. Not to say it wasn't a great shot and effect, but it's not at the same level.

Troublemaker
04-01-2017, 11:21 AM
Yeah, but what was the point spread?

UConn was a 21.5-pt favorite. Tough to top that as an upset.

devildeac
04-01-2017, 03:03 PM
Basketball gods- they do exist

No, they don't as unc is in the FF. Again. :mad:

wsb3
04-01-2017, 05:28 PM
UConn was a 21.5-pt favorite. Tough to top that as an upset.

Is there a college game for the women that even comes close to this in terms of an upset? I can't think of one but I know there are others on this board that follow women's bball far closer than I do..

Thanks to not being able to sleep I actually watched the game from mid third quarter to the conclusion. I kept thinking UCONN would pull away. They much like Vegas had not been in many close games & it showed.

The embrace between Morgan Williams and her coach was something special..

pfrduke
04-01-2017, 10:06 PM
Is there a college game for the women that even comes close to this in terms of an upset? I can't think of one but I know there are others on this board that follow women's bball far closer than I do..

Thanks to not being able to sleep I actually watched the game from mid third quarter to the conclusion. I kept thinking UCONN would pull away. They much like Vegas had not been in many close games & it showed.

The embrace between Morgan Williams and her coach was something special..

The only one that immediately pops to mind is Harvard-Stanford in the 16 over 1 upset.

uh_no
04-01-2017, 11:23 PM
The only one that immediately pops to mind is Harvard-Stanford in the 16 over 1 upset.

i would put UL's win over the griner led Baylor teams up there in terms of difficulty, just because griner was so dominant.

Despite the record, this team didn't win 111 in a row....breanna stewart and co won most of those, and these guys were largely just along for the ride. They eked out some much closer wins this year. So while it's still a huge upset in that uconn was the best team in the country, and they had the streak "history" behind it, but it's far from shocking, I think. Dissapointing, as any upset is, especially given the boneheaded plays at the end that lost it....but it takes a hell of a game from any opponent to beat uconn, and MSU brought it.

I'm pulling for them over Stanford tomorrow, though i didn't realize it's been forever since stanford won either.

Rich
04-01-2017, 11:54 PM
i would put UL's win over the griner led Baylor teams up there in terms of difficulty, just because griner was so dominant.

Despite the record, this team didn't win 111 in a row...breanna stewart and co won most of those, and these guys were largely just along for the ride. They eked out some much closer wins this year. So while it's still a huge upset in that uconn was the best team in the country, and they had the streak "history" behind it, but it's far from shocking, I think. Dissapointing, as any upset is, especially given the boneheaded plays at the end that lost it...but it takes a hell of a game from any opponent to beat uconn, and MSU brought it.

I'm pulling for them over Stanford tomorrow, though i didn't realize it's been forever since stanford won either.

Didn't South Carolina beat Stanford? It's an all SEC Final.