No loopy buzzer-beater. No last-minute miracle.
After a lot heartache over so a few years, UCLA lastly shook off its Gonzaga jinx underneath coach Mick Cronin on Saturday afternoon.
It appeared just like the Bruins is perhaps in retailer for extra misfortune when Sebastian Mack fouled Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard on a driving layup with 8.1 seconds left, sending Nembhard to the road for the free throw that might tie the rating.
However the basketball gods lastly smiled upon the Bruins.
Nembhard missed the free throw and UCLA’s Skyy Clark chased down the rebound earlier than getting fouled. He made each free throws to offer the No. 22 Bruins a breathless 65-62 victory over the No. 14 Bulldogs within the West Coast Hoops Showdown on the Intuit Dome.
One other wild end for Gonzaga was not in retailer after Nembhard’s heave past halfcourt was effectively off the mark seconds earlier than the buzzer.
UCLA guard Trent Perry, sitting on the courtroom, and teammate Eric Dailey Jr. each yell after Perry drew a foul on a three-point shot Saturday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Instances)
It was the primary victory over Gonzaga for Cronin at UCLA after having dropped his first 4 conferences, together with a pair of heartbreakers on game-winning pictures within the NCAA match.
A closely pro-Bruins crowd of 12,272 cheered the crew on its means off the courtroom after it shook off its 16-point collapse towards North Carolina from final weekend.
“We knew we let a big one slip away in New York and we’re still feeling that,” mentioned Clark, who was robust throughout the board with 11 factors, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, “but we’ve got to learn from it and move on, so we just came into this game hungry, we did not want to lose.”
After barely enjoying within the second half towards the Tar Heels as a result of he absorbed a shot to the face, UCLA ahead Eric Dailey Jr. was fitted with a masks and scored 18 factors to steer 4 gamers in double figures for the Bruins (11-2).
Gonzaga (9-4) had a number of possibilities to forge one other late win. Bulldogs guard Dusty Stromer rose for a three-pointer that might have given his crew the lead with 17 seconds left, however the shot was off the mark and Clark grabbed the rebound earlier than getting fouled.
Clark obtained each of his free throws to roll in, utilizing a brand new capturing approach to supply the Bruins with a 63-60 lead after he had missed the entrance finish of two one-and-one conditions within the second half towards North Carolina.
“He’s been teaching us to hit the front of the rim when you’re shooting a free throw,” Clark mentioned of Cronin, “so I was really trying to focus on that. He said 95% of those shots go in.”
Even with a three-point lead, UCLA was the crew that wanted a bit of luck this time given the breakdown in its technique. Cronin mentioned the plan was to foul Gonzaga in the event that they took their time to try to get a three-pointer or allow them to lay it in in the event that they went for a fast basket.
They did neither when Mack hacked Nembhard on his layup, sending a participant who entered the sport making 86.7% of his free throws to the road.
“Bas knows he made a mistake,” Cronin mentioned. “It happens, and I can coach him about it and talk to him about it.”
The earlier moments had been a redemption story for Mack. After having missed two free throws, he made a floater by which he was fouled and sank the free throw to offer the Bruins a 61-60 lead with 33 seconds left.
Kobe Johnson contributed all 4 of his three-pointers within the second half for UCLA, which shot 12 of 24 from lengthy vary. That helped the Bruins prevail on a day by which Gonzaga’s Graham Ike met little resistance whereas scoring 24 factors on 11-for-16 capturing.
In the meantime, the Bulldogs unleashed the type of harassing protection usually related to the Bruins, making each UCLA possession a slog. With level guard Dylan Andrews’ droop deepening, the Bruins usually struggled to provide good pictures — or, in a number of circumstances, any shot whereas committing a shot-clock violation.
Andrews, who went scoreless with one help, was benched down the stretch in favor of Mack, who made the play his crew wanted.
The halftime rating — UCLA 27, Gonzaga 25 — appeared like a misprint given the Bruins shot solely 29% and dedicated 9 turnovers. The benefit got here thanks principally to UCLA making 5 of 12 three-pointers (in comparison with Gonzaga’s two of 11), forcing the Bulldogs into 11 turnovers and grabbing two extra rebounds than their counterparts.
The Bruins appeared like they have been headed to a a lot bigger cushion after Clark used a crossover transfer to free himself for a jumper that capped an 11-0 run for his crew, giving UCLA a 24-13 lead.
Tensions momentarily rose late within the first half when Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected for clobbering Dailey, the contact prompting Cronin to shed his swimsuit jacket earlier than conversing with officers in regards to the play.
The lack of their third-leading scorer appeared to provoke the Bulldogs the remainder of the primary half. They went on to carry UCLA scoreless for greater than 4 minutes whereas rolling off a 9-0 push that worn out many of the Bruins’ huge lead.
UCLA performed with out heart William Kyle III, who was sidelined by an unspecified medical concern, in response to a crew spokesperson.
Ultimately, the Bruins had simply sufficient to interrupt by way of towards the crew that had tormented them a lot.
