The No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the No. 2 UCLA Bruins 79-76 in a thrilling Sweet 16 contest Thursday night, advancing to the Elite Eight for the sixth time in program history. Here’s what you need to know:
- Gonzaga was down 13 points at halftime. The Bulldogs rallied, taking a 10-point lead to go up 72-62 with 2:30 remaining.
- After going over 11 minutes without scoring, UCLA went on a 14-3 run. With 13 seconds left, Bruins guard Amari Bailey made a 3-pointer, putting UCLA up 76-75.
- With seven seconds to go, Gonzaga’s Julian Strawther sunk a 3-pointer to give the Zags a 78-76 lead. On the ensuing possession, Gonzaga’s Malachi Smith stole the ball from UCLA’s Tyger Campbell.
- UCLA fouled with one second left, sending Strawther to the free-throw line. Strawther made one of two free throws, putting Gonzaga up 79-76. Campbell missed the game-tying 3-pointer, sealing the Bulldogs’ victory.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Timme takes control
Drew Timme was flat-out dominant from start to finish (36 points, 13 rebounds and four assists), but the difference in the second half was that he finally got some help from his Gonzaga teammates. Non-Timme Bulldogs only scored 14 points in the first half, but they more than doubled that with 29 points. With Timme racking up another 17 points of his own after dropping 19 in the first half on top of his teammates’ effort, UCLA looked hopeless to stop them.
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On top of that, Gonzaga locked in on defense. UCLA was shooting 51.4 percent at halftime, but that figure plummeted to 41.8 percent by the end of the game. The Bruins managed just 30 second-half points after an explosive 46-point first half. — Reed
What happened to UCLA?
Bailey, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Campbell all had nice scoring nights, but they looked to run out of gas. UCLA scored just four bench points combined and rarely took its starters off the floor. Ultimately, the Bruins just didn’t have enough to hold onto the double-digit lead they built in the first half. They made a wild comeback late after falling behind by double digits themselves. They even took a one-point lead on a Bailey jumper with just over 12 seconds to go but a cold-blooded, game-clinching, soul-snatching three from Las Vegas-native Strawther proved to be the difference. — Reed
An instant classic
It was an insane finish to a classic game between two teams who gave it their all. It’s a crushing end for UCLA, but the contrast between their disappointment and jubilation Gonzaga showed as it celebrated advancing to the Elite Eight exemplifies what makes this time of year so addictive to tune into for millions globally. Vegas couldn’t have asked for a better showing to cap off its first day of hosting March Madness in NCAA history. — Reed
Backstory
Timme now has 10 20-point-plus games in the NCAA Tournament, passing a large group (that includes tournament legends such as Bill Bradley and Danny Manning) for first place all time. Strawther totaled 16 points, 10 rebounds and one assist.
Highlight of the game
JULIAN STRAWTHER FROM THE LOGO‼️
Gonzaga comes back in the final seconds against UCLA to advance to the Elite Eight.
🎥 @MarchMadnessMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/rorTaSNTtd
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 24, 2023
Required reading
(Photo: Joe Camporeale / USA Today)