On Saturday in Indianapolis during the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs won the game for the unbeaten Bulldogs with a running three-point jumper from just inside half court, 93-90 over the UCLA Bruins.
UCLA was behind 90-85 with under a minute to play, but a three-pointer by Jaime Jaquez Jr. and a putback by Johnny Juzang off his own miss with 3.3 seconds remaining brought the Bruins within a point.
Suggs was then given the inbounds pass and scored the game-winning basket off a bank shot to preserve the Bulldogs’ perfect record. They will play Baylor in the final game on Monday night.
UCLA Had Foul Trouble in the First Half
However, Gonzaga’s lack of offensive balance throughout the first 17 minutes of the game was more detrimental than UCLA’s foul issues.
The Zags came back from a 6-point hole to take a 45-44 edge into the locker room at halftime. For UCLA, Tyger Campbell (9 points) and Jaime Jaquez Jr.
(8 points) both had 2 fouls, while Jules Bernard (3 fouls) contributed 5 points and 3 rebounds. The Bruins were topped in scoring by Johnny Juzang (15 points).
Bulldogs’ offence was led by Joel Ayayi (16 points on 6-of-6 shooting) and Drew Timme (8). On the other hand, Corey Krispert and Jalen Suggs both added 7 points, with most of them coming in the game’s final minutes.
Gonzaga Bulldogs are on to The NCAA Tournament’s National Championship
The Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the No. 11 UCLA Bruins, 93-90 in overtime, to advance to the NCAA Tournament’s National Championship Game.
With only three seconds remaining, the Bruins knotted the score. The Bulldogs beat the Bruins 93-90 thanks to a last-second three-pointer by Suggs, who was standing just inside half-court.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs are the No. 1 overall seed. Due to their low seeding (11) in the tournament, the Bruins were required to win a game in the tournament’s First Four round.
Joel Ayayi, a junior guard, scored 22 points to set a new career high for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by sophomore forward Drew Timme.
Who poured in 25 points. Johnny Juzang, a sophomore guard for the Bruins, scored a game-high 29 points.
Conclusion
Gonzaga, the top seed in the tournament, was only two wins away from a historic upset at the hands of No. 11 UCLA. Jalen Suggs, a freshman sensation, instead came through in the clutch.
In overtime, Gonzaga prevailed 93-90 over UCLA thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Suggs.
Preserving the Bulldogs’ undefeated season and sending them to their second national title game in school history.
