Gonzaga beats UCLA, ends its drought in Elite Eight,
Bulldogs down UCLA, return to region final for first time since 1999.
HOUSTON — Przemek Karnowski had 18 points and nine rebounds and second-seeded Gonzaga used a big run early in the second half to pull away for a 74-62 win over No. 11 UCLA on Friday night in the South Region semifinals.
The victory puts Gonzaga (35-2) in the Elite Eight for the second time, its birst regional binal since 1999. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the Utah-Duke game on Sunday.
UCLA (22-14) opened the second half with a 6-0 run to get within 35-34. Gonzaga got going after that, scoring the next 12 points, thanks to the powerful inside game of 7-foot-1, 288-pound Karnowski to make it 47-34.
The Bruins, who lost in the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, were done in by a tough shooting night that included long stretches without scoring. They were led by Norman Powell’s 16 points.
They quieted doubters who questioned whether they should be in the tournament by winning their birst two games, but couldn’t stay with the Bulldogs on a night when their shots weren’t falling. Powell made just 8 of 19 shots and Bryce Alford was 3 of 11.
It’s Gonzaga’s second win over UCLA this season after also beating the Bruins in December. Gonzaga’s only loss to UCLA in the four-game history of the series came in a 7371 defeat in the regional semifinal in 2006.
It will be the birst trip to the round of eight for Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who took over the season after they last made it.
The Bruins couldn’t bind any offense as Gonzaga built its lead early in the second half. A jump shot by Kevon Looney came after their big run to end a five-minute scoring drought and cut it to 47-36 with 13 minutes left.
Domantas Sabonis drew ooh’s and ahh’s from the crowd when the 6-10 Lithuanian grabbed a bounce pass from Karnowski and sailed over Isaac Hamilton for a one-handed dunk that made it 51-37 with 11 minutes remaining.
Karnowski found Sabonis again a few minutes later, when he passed it behind his back and Sabonis finished with a layup to push the lead to 57-43.
Gonzaga was up 13-10 with about 14 ½ minutes left in the birst half when the offenses of both teams went cold, combining to miss the next 19 shots. The Bulldogs missed 11 times and UCLA missed the rest.
There were missed layups, shots from the outside that clanged off the rim and even a couple of air balls. For an almost 6 ½-minute stretch no matter what either team tried, they simply could not make a basket.
Gonzaga extended the lead a bit by making three free throws in that span.