The 22nd-ranked UCLA Bruins took advantage of hot shooting from behind the arc in a 65-62 win over No. 14 Gonzaga on Saturday.
The win was UCLA’s first triumph over Gonzaga since 2015, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard missed this half-court attempt in the closing seconds to seal the victory for UCLA:
This and-one and subsequent free-throw from Sebastian Mack with 33.4 seconds remaining gave the Bruins a 61-60 lead. That proved to be the game-winner as UCLA never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.
Two key areas stood out for the Bruins. One was their efficient three-point shooting, which has been a struggle at times so far this season.
Coming into Saturday, UCLA ranked 80th in the country in three-point percentage (35.8%), per TeamRankings. Against the Bulldogs, UCLA went 12-for-24 from behind the arc, which was huge given the Bruins’ inconsistency from the floor throughout the game (36.4%).
Perhaps the most important factor in the game was UCLA’s ability to slow down the nation’s highest scoring team. According to NCAA.com, Gonzaga’s 89.2 points per game were No. 1 in the country coming into Saturday. While Gonzaga dominated in the paint, 34-8, the Bulldogs shot just 7-for-24 (29.2%) from long range. The 62 points were a season-low for Gonzaga after scoring at least 80 points in 10 of its 13 games.
Eric Dailey Jr. had 18 points and made four of his five three attempts while Kobe Johnson added 12 points on four made threes.
Gonzaga (9-4) will look to reset after losing its last three games against ranked opponents. Although Nembhard and Graham Ike combined for 40 points, Khalif Battle’s five points were the only other points from a Gonzaga starter. That is a major concern for the Bulldogs going forward.
As the Bulldogs head into WCC play against Pepperdine on Monday, returning to form should be at the forefront for the nation’s highest-scoring team after a disappointing result against the Bruins.
This was a good turn of events for UCLA after blowing a double-digit lead to North Carolina a week ago. Now, the Bruins (11-2) prepare to get back into Big Ten play at Nebraska on Jan. 4 after making a statement against Gonzaga’s top-ranked offense.
