Gonzaga tops UCLA on Strawther’s late 3
LAS VEGAS — Julian Strawther hit a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to answer a 3pointer by UCLA’s Amari Bailey, lifting Gonzaga to a wild 79-76 NCAA Tournament win over UCLA on Thursday night in the Sweet 16.
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, sending Gonzaga fans to their feet.
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 the Bruins a chance.
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 Connecticut on Saturday.
Strawther’s shot, off a drop pass, was reminiscent of the one Villanova’s Kris Jenkins made to clinch the 2016 national championship in Houston.
The flurry of a finish started off more like a prize fight, each team taking its turn landing blows in a game of wild swings. UCLA led by 13 at the half, but Gonzaga led by 10 with 2:30 left in game. Then UCLA didn’t make a shot for more than 12 minutes but rallied to lead 76-75 with 13 seconds left.
The Bulldogs were led by Drew Timme, who had 36 points for his record 10th NCAA Tournament game with 20 points.
CONNECTICUT 88, ARKANSAS 65
Jordan Hawkins scored 24 points to help the Huskies move one step away from the Final Four after a rout of of the Razorbacks in a Sweet 16 games played in Las Vegas.
Connecticut (28-8) played like a team capable of winning its fifth NCAA Tournament title and first since 2014. The Huskies have outscored their three March Madness opponents by 62 points.
The Huskies never trailed and led by as many as 29 points when they went up 62-33. Arkansas (22-14) answered with a 10-point run in just 27 seconds, but the outcome was never in doubt.
Connecticut, which has won nine of its past 10 games, shot 57.4 percent compared to 31.7 percent for Arkansas. The Huskies dominated inside by outrebounding the Razorbacks 43-31 and outscoring them 42-24 in the lane.