Gonzaga won 29 of his 30 double-digit games, entering Saturday’s Final Four showdown with UCLA, but the Bulldogs finally had to survive a thriller to keep their perfect record intact. Bruins’ number 11 gave the Zags everything they could do before Gonzaga got a 93-90 victory in overtime.
Jalen Suggs desperately bet on a 3-point basket on the final bell to guarantee victory after UCLA’s Johnny Juzang drew at 90 with a lay-up a few seconds earlier.
The Bulldogs, who are ranked number 1 in the NCAA Tournament, advance to play Baylor in second place in the national title game on Monday night.
After scoring 28 points in the 51-49 victory in Michigan at Elite Eight on Tuesday, Juzang had another spectacular performance for UCLA with 29 points. But the second 1.8m year was whistled for a load with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation while driving for a potential chance for the game to win.
That call sent the game into overtime and, from there, Gonzaga center Drew Timme took over with six quick points in the first two minutes of overtime. The second-year star finished with 25 points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 31-0 with the win.