In the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16, the No. 9 Gonzaga Bulldogs played against the No. 7 UCLA Bruins.[1]
The game was held on March 24, 2023.
The Bruins led by 13 points at halftime, but the Bulldogs led by 10 points with 2:30 left in the game.
However, UCLA rallied and took a 76-75 lead with 12.2 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Amari Bailey.
Gonzaga then brought the ball up the floor and Julian Strawther hit a 3-pointer with 7.2 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 79-76 win over the Bruins.
This win sent Gonzaga to the Elite Eight for the fifth time under head coach Mark Few.
The Bulldogs had previously beaten the No. 1 seed, Duke, in the Sweet 16.
Gonzaga’s record after the win against UCLA was 31-5.
UCLA’s record after the loss was 31-6.
In November 2021, Gonzaga and UCLA had played against each other, with Gonzaga winning 83-63.
However, the Sweet 16 game was much closer, with Gonzaga winning by only three points.