The First Shot
Suggs’ overtime, 3-point-winner moves Bulldogs into dream final
WHAT WASN’T WILL BE: In the hours after a much-anticipated matchup between No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Baylor was postponed Dec. 5 because of two positive COVID tests within the Zags program, coach Mark Few said: “We’ll find a way to play it at some point. We’ll make it happen.” Well, they did — 9 p.m. Monday for the national title. But not before having to survive one of the greatest games in NCAA tournament history Saturday night, a 93-90 win vs. UCLA in overtime that wasn’t decided until Jalen Suggs, pictured, hit desperation 3-pointer from 30-plus feet as the buzzer sounded to end a game that featured more than 20 lead changes.
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INDIANAPOLIS — The shotby Jalen Suggs — perfect!
The Gonzaga freshman banked in a shot at the buzzer from just inside the half-court logo Saturday night to lift the Bulldogs to a 93-90 overtime win over UCLA and move them one win away from an undefeated season and a national title.
This Final Four thriller was the best game of the tournament, and, considering the stakes, it served up possibly the best finish in the history of March Madness — a banker from near midcourt to keep a perfectseason alive.
“Every day in shootaround before the game we shoot halfcourters,” Suggs said. “I haven’t been making my halfcourters,but I got it with confidence, put it up. It’s crazy. I can’t come to words right now.”
After the shot went in, Suggs ran to the mostly empty press row, jumped up and pumped his fists a few times. Therefs checked to make sure he got the shot off before the buzzer sounded. He did, and theBulldogs (31-0) moved onto Monday night’s final, where they’llplay Baylor for the title.
They are the first team to bring an undefeated record into the championship game since Larry Bird and Indiana Statein 1979.
Even without Suggs’ shot, it would’ve been hard to beat this game for pure excitement.
It featured 15 ties and 19 lead changes and an 11thseeded UCLA team that simply wouldn’t give in. Even though they lost, the Bruins snapped a streak of 27 consecutive double-digit wins by MarkFew’s juggernaut.
The Bruins (22-10) were the first team to lead Gonzaga in the second half over five games of tournament play and, in fact, had a chance to winat the end of regulation.
With the score tied at 8-81, Johnny Juzang was taking it hard to the hoop in the final seconds, when Zags forward Drew Timme, playing with
four fouls, stepped into the paint, planted his feet and tooka charge.
Gonzaga called time and tried a Grant Hill-to-Christian Laettner full-court pass with 1.1 seconds left to try to win in regulation. It didn’t connect. Fiveminutes later, Suggs may have very possibly knocked Laettner’sshot down a spot on thelist of all-timers.
UCLA deserved better than this.
The Bruins went toe-to-toe all night with the top-ranked team in the country. This was their third overtime out of six games in the tournament — theyplayed an extra one in the First Four — and they never trailedby more than seven.
Juzanghad 29 points for the Bruins, including a 15-footer with1:27 left in regulation that helped them claw back from sevendown to tie it at 79.
Jamie Jaquez Jr. was also unintimidated by Gonzaga. He handled Timme’s inside pressure all night, scoring 19 points. Jaquez’s two free throws tied it at 81 with 43 secondsleft.
It looked like it would be Timme’s overtime. He dipped andducked for Gonzaga’s first six points of the extra session and an 87-83 lead that felt like breathingroom in this one.
But UCLA coach Mick Cronin called a timeout and UCLAchipped away again.
Juzang’s putback with 3.3 secondsleft tied it at 90-90. Few didn’t call timeout, and Suggs took the inbounds pass and had clear sailing to the halfcourtline — and beyond.