Gonzaga vs. UCLA final score, results: Julian Strawther's logo 3 carries Bulldogs to Elite Eight

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David Suggs
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It was almost poetic, Julian Strawther's back-breaking 3 from the logo finding the nylon as the clock wound down.

The junior had taken a back seat for much of the proceedings, lurking in the shadows as Drew Timme and Malachi Smith brought Gonzaga back from the brink of elimination. But with a little over 10 seconds left, it was Strawther, not his teammates, who got the ball. And he made it count.

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Strawther's 3 capped off a frenzied Sweet 16 matchup in Las Vegas, pushing the Zags past the Bruins — again — 79-76 to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

It was a tale of two halves; the sides experienced a stark role reversal in the second. After jumping out to a double-digit lead, UCLA froze, unable to find a basket. Gonzaga, on the other hand, kept pressing, limiting its turnovers while also opening up a major advantage on the glass.

If it wasn't Timme finding the bottom of the net, it was Smith, the Chattanooga transfer who only last year claimed Southern Conference Player of the Year.

MORE: Watch NCAA Tournament games live with Sling TV

Some poor late-game decision-making by the Bulldogs gave the Bruins a chance, however. And after Timme clanked two free throws badly, it was another high-profile player — Bruins guard Amari Bailey — who seemed to have given UCLA the win with a high-rise 3-pointer.

Strawther wouldn't let that happen, though, burying his 30-foot jumper to bring the Zags one step closer to a first championship in program history.

 

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates Gonzaga vs. UCLA in the Sweet 16. Below are the highlights and reactions from a thrilling game at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

Gonzaga vs. UCLA score

  1 2 F
Gonzaga 33 46 79
UCLA 46 30 76

Gonzaga vs. UCLA live updates, highlights from 2023 March Madness

(All times Eastern)

End of game: Gonzaga 79, UCLA 76

12:21 a.m.: Strawther misses one free throw and hits the other to take the Zags' lead to three. Campbell gets a good look from half court but his shot is off! Gonzaga advances!

12:20 a.m.: BANG! Strawther sinks the logo three to give the Zags the lead! What a shot! Gonzaga 78, UCLA 76

12:17 a.m.: Timme misses both! Campbell comes back down, finding Bailey, who sinks a wide-open three to take the lead! UCLA up one! UCLA 76, Gonzaga 75

12:16 a.m.: Intentional foul will send Timme to the line. He needs two to make it a two possession game.

12:15 a.m.: 25.8 seconds left. Gonzaga's ball up two. 3.8 second differential between game and shot clock.

12:11 a.m.: AND-ONE! Jaquez goes straight at Timme, adjusting his body to get the hoop plus the hard. Gonzaga 74, UCLA 71

12:10 a.m.: Smith airmails a pass, sending it towards Cronin. It will be UCLA ball with around 50 seconds left. Bruins down six and in need of a desperate rally.

12:06 a.m.: Crucial bucket by Jaquez, who ends that lengthy scoreless spell from the field. He has a chance for the and-one.

11:59 p.m.: Boom! Huge three by Smith, who bumps the Zags' lead to double-digits. Gonzaga makes the Bruins pay for finally doubling Timme. Gonzaga 72, UCLA 63

11:56 p.m.: Gonzaga with a mammoth 22-point rebound advantage over UCLA. Couple that with fewer turnovers and you get a seven-point Bulldogs advantage. Bruins haven't scored a field goal in nearly 10 minutes. Gonzaga 69, UCLA 62

11:51 p.m.: At what point does Mick Cronin start swarming Timme in the paint? When he's lined up one-on-one, it's barbecue chicken. Another impressive post move and score fro the senior superstar. Gonzaga 65, UCLA 62

11:49 p.m.: The Bulldogs were desperate for someone to lessen the load on Timme. They got it in Smith, who sinks another floater to push the Zags back in front.

11:47 p.m.: UCLA's shooting has gone down the drain in the second. Jaquez jacking up some bad attempts. He looks like he's running on fumes.

11:42 p.m.: The Bruins simply cannot buy a basket at this point. Jaquez setting up some good looks, both for himself and others, but there just appears to be a lid on the basket.

Smith's layup gives Gonzaga the lead! Sub-eight minute timeout approaching.

Gonzaga 61, UCLA 59

11:38 p.m.: Gonzaga on a 16-5 run. Superb rally thus far. Importantly, UCLA is without perhaps its best interior defender Adem Bona, who is out with injury. Can't get a board here; the Zags are really making their presence felt on the glass and in the paint.

Malachi Smith goes 1/2 from the line, evening the score up at 59.

UCLA 59, Gonzaga 59

11:30 p.m.: Bodies strewn all over the floor! Unreal scenes here in Vegas. Fueled by Timme, Gonzaga is well and truly back in the game. Sub-12 media timeout gives both sides a chance to breathe. UCLA 59, Gonzaga 54

11:27 p.m.: Timme is on a roll! The Zags big man has 29, none prettier than his last two. Slaloms through the paint with a spin before finishing with a delicate flick off the board. That Bruins lead has all but evaporated now. UCLA 54, Gonzaga 50

11:23 p.m.: Mark Few's squad switching to the zone press. Finding some success early. Timme banks in a deft hook shot, taking advantage of a Bruins turnover to cut UCLA's edge to 6.

11:20 p.m.: Everything the Zags have done today has gone through Timme. He makes a beautiful no-look pass to  Watson, who soars through contact to get the and-one. Going to need some big contributions from the supporting cast to cut into this Bruins lead. UCLA 54, Gonzaga 44

11:17 p.m.: Jaquez and Timme really enjoying the back and forth. Jaquez gets into the paint, sinking a floater with ease. Timme comes right back down and hits a runner of his own. This is just the sort of performances you expect from senior leaders.

11:15 p.m.: Jaquez pokes the ball free of Timme before slamming it down on the fast break. Gonzaga just can't seem to get out of its own way with the turnovers. Second half has been a little better, but lots to be desired.

UCLA up 48-38.

End of first half: UCLA 46, Gonzaga 33

10:49 p.m.: Campbell, Bailey and Jaquez putting on a show early. They've combined for 38 points thus far, pushing UCLA to a 46-33 halftime advantage.

Timme leading the way for the Zags with 19 points. Not much offense coming elsewhere, though.

10:38 p.m.: The Bruins senior leaders are hooping early. Campbell and Jaquez already in double digits as we approach the four minute mark off the first half.

10:37 p.m.: Bruins getting out in transition early. 18 points on the break, many of which stem from forcing seven Bulldogs turnovers. Campbell sinks a quick three off a Jaquez dime to push UCLA's lead to seven.

10:29 p.m.: Watson with a pair of big plays back-to-back, first hitting a straightaway three, then ripping the ball out of Jaquez's hands. Brings the Bruins lead to six.

10:22 p.m.: This Timme performance is bordering on special already. He's got 15 of Gonzaga's first 19 points.

10:15 p.m.: Amari Bailey percolating early. He's got nine unanswered points for the Bruins, going right at Timme for his last two.

10:09 p.m.: Timme has been a man on a mission thus far. he's got seven of Gonzaga's first nine points, including dead-on three-ball from the top of the key. Zags lead 9-7 at the first television timeout.

10:04 p.m.: Starters for Gonzaga: Nolan Rickman-Julian Strawther-Rasir Bolton-Anton Watson-Drew Timme. Tip off coming soon from T-Mobile Arena.

10:01 p.m.: Zags locked in as well, namely star big man Drew Timme.

9:54 p.m.: Bruins starters revealed ahead of tonight's game. Lot of experience in this group.

9:52 p.m.: For a bit of a refresh on what happened the last time Gonzaga faced off with UCLA in the NCAA tournament, refer to this video:

What channel is Gonzaga vs. UCLA on today?

  • TV channel: CBS
  • Live stream: NCAA March Madness Live, Paramount+

The Zags and Bruins will duke it out on CBS, the broadcasting home of this year's Final Four. Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy will be on the call. They'll be joined on the telecast by Lauren Shehadi, who will offer occasional updates and interviews from the sideline.

Cord-cutters hoping to find Thursday's game are in luck, as it will be available to watch for free on the NCAA March Madness Live app and can find the game on Paramount+.

Gonzaga vs. UCLA start time

  • Date: Thursday, March 23
  • Time: 9:45 p.m. ET

The Sweet 16 clash between Gonzaga and UCLA will tip off at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

March Madness schedule 2023

Sweet 16

Thursday, March 23

Results
(3) Kansas State 98, (7) Michigan State 93 (OT) 
(4) UConn 88, (8) Arkansas 65
(9) FAU 62, (4) Tennessee 55
(3) Gonzaga 79, (2) UCLA 76

Friday, March 24

Game Time (ET) TV
(1) Alabama vs. (5) San Diego State 6:30 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
(1) Houston vs. (5) Miami 7:15 p.m. CBS
(6) Creighton vs. (15) Princeton 9 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
(2) Texas vs. (3) Xavier 9:45 p.m. CBS

Elite Eight

Saturday, March 25

Game Time (ET) TV
(3) Kansas State vs. (9) FAU 6:09 p.m. TBS, Sling TV
(3) Gonzaga vs. (4) UConn After Game 1 TBS, Sling TV

Sunday, March 26

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 2 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 4:55 p.m. CBS

Final Four

Saturday, April 1

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 6 p.m. CBS
TBD vs. TBD 8:30 p.m. CBS

National championship

Monday, April 3

Game Time (ET) TV
TBD vs. TBD 9 p.m. CBS
Author(s)
David Suggs Photo
David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News.