Gonzaga crying tears of joy after Sweet 16 victory
LAS VEGAS — Gonzaga and UCLA played one NCAA Tournament game that left the Zags’ star player bawling, and another game that stunned the Bruins.
Add another to the list. Maybe the maddest one in March yet.
Julian Strawther hit a 3pointer with 7.2 seconds left to answer a 3-pointer by UCLA’S Amari Bailey, lifting Gonzaga to a wild 79-76 win over UCLA Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
“It’s moments like that you can’t make up,” said Strawther, a Las Vegas native.
The Bruins (31-6), the West Region’s No. 2 seed, stormed back from an eight-point deficit in the final 1:05 and took a 76-75 lead on Bailey’s 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left.
The Zags (31-5) brought the ball up the floor, and Strawther stepped into a 3-pointer after a drop pass from Hunter Sallis, sending Gonzaga fans to their feet.
The Zags still had to sweat it out.
Gonzaga’s Malachi Smith stole the ball from UCLA’S Tyger Campbell, but Strawther only hit 1 of 2 free throws at the other end, giving UCLA a shot.
Campbell’s 3-pointer at the buzzer hit the back of the rim, sending the Zags rushing off the bench and into the Elite Eight against Uconn on Saturday while leaving the Bruins disappointed again.
“Every game, try not to get too high, try not to get too low,” said UCLA’S Jaime Jaquez, who had 29 points and 11 rebounds. “He hit a big shot and we lost.”
Strawther’s shot was reminiscent of the one Villanova’s Kris Jenkins made off a drop pass to clinch the 2016 national championship — a shot that came after North Carolina’s Marcus Paige hit an off-balance 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left.
There’s a reason it looked familiar.
“That’s Jay Wright’s play that he used in Villanova-carolina, the championship,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “That’s what we call it. He makes it all the time.”
It also is the latest chapter in what’s become the best West Coast rivalry in college basketball.
UCLA got the better of the teams’ first NCAA Tournament go-around, rallying from 17 points down to send the Zags out of the 2006 bracket and star Adam Morrison to the floor crying.
Jalen Suggs crushed the Bruins the last time, hitting a running 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Zags to the 2021 national championship game.
“I can’t even describe what he did. It’s crazy,” Gonzaga’s Drew Timme said of Strawther’s gamewinner.
Timme had 36 points for his record 10th NCAA Tournament game with 20 points.