No crazy buzzer. No last minute miracles.
After so much heartbreak for so many years, UCLA finally shook off its Gonzaga spell under coach Mick Cronin Saturday afternoon at the Intuit Dome.
It looked like the Bruins might experience even more misfortune when Sebastian Mack fouled Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard on a layup with 8.1 seconds left, sending Nembhard to the line for the free throw that could tie the game the score.
But the basketball gods finally smiled on the Bruins.
Nembhard missed the free throw and UCLA’s Skyy Clark chased down the rebound before being fouled. He made both free throws to give the No. 22 Bruins a thrilling 65-62 victory over the No. 14 Bulldogs.
It was Cronin’s first win over Gonzaga at UCLA after losing his first four meetings, including two heartbreakers on game-winning shots in the NCAA Tournament.
A very pro-Bruins crowd cheered the team as they left the field after overcoming their 16-point collapse against North Carolina last weekend.
Forward Eric Dailey Jr. scored 18 points to lead four players in double figures for the Bruins (11-2), who made 12 of 24 three-pointers.
Gonzaga (9-4) had several chances to score another late victory. Bulldogs guard Dusty Stromer stood up for a three-pointer that could have given his team the lead with 17 seconds left, but the shot was off-target and Clark grabbed the rebound before being fouled. mistake.
Clark made both of his free throws, giving the Bruins a 63-62 lead. UCLA was the team that needed a little luck this time.
Mack redeemed himself – and gave the Bruins a 61-60 advantage with 33 seconds left – when he made a floater while being fouled. He made the free throw after missing two during his team’s previous possession.
Gonzaga forward Graham Ike was a problem all game for the Bruins, scoring in various ways around the basket while finishing with 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs unleashed the kind of harassing defense normally associated with the Bruins, making every UCLA possession a chore. With the collapse of point guard Dylan Andrews, the Bruins often struggled to produce good shots — or, in a few cases, any shots while committing a shot clock violation.
Andrews was benched in favor of Mack, who made the play his team needed.
The halftime score — UCLA 27, Gonzaga 25 — looked like a misprint considering the Bruins shot just 29 percent and committed nine turnovers. The advantage came primarily because UCLA made five of 12 three-pointers (compared to two of 11 for Gonzaga), forcing the Bulldogs to commit 11 turnovers and grab two more rebounds than their counterparts.
The Bruins appeared to be headed for a much bigger cushion after Clark used a crossover move to break free from a jumper that capped an 11-0 run for his team, giving UCLA a 24-13 lead .
Tensions rose momentarily late in the first half when Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle was called a Level 2 flagrant foul and ejected for hitting Dailey, with the contact prompting Cronin to shed his jacket costume before conversing with officials about the game.
The loss of their third leading scorer seemed to galvanize the Bulldogs for the rest of the first half. They then held UCLA scoreless for over four minutes while scoring a 9-0 spurt that erased most of the Bruins’ large lead.
UCLA played without center William Kyle III, who was sidelined due to an unspecified medical issue, according to a team spokesperson.
This story was originally published in Los Angeles Times.
