INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gonzaga got on a roll and put on a show Tuesday night, moving to 30-0 on the season and cruising into the Final Four with an 85-66 victory over Southern California.
Drew Timme had 23 points and five rebounds and, after one dunk, pretended to slick down his handlebar mustache for the few thousand fans in the stands. The top-seeded and top-ranked Bulldogs will be the third team to bring an undefeated record into the Final Four since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
The last team to go undefeated was Indiana in 1976. On Saturday in the national semifinals, the Zags will face 11th-seeded UCLA, which beat Michigan 51-49 in a later Elite Eight game.
Jalen Suggs had 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for Gonzaga, and All-American Corey Kispert had 18 points and eight boards.
Isaiah Mobley had 19 points and seven rebounds for sixth-seeded USC (25-8), and his brother Evan finished with with 17 points.
The game was interrupted by a frightening moment early, when official Bert Smith collapsed on the floor and had to be taken off in a wheelchair. In the second half, CBS passed along word that Smith was feeling OK and resting in the arena.
EAST REGION
UCLA 51, MICHIGAN 49
Johnny Juzang poured in 28 points while playing most of the second half on a hurt ankle, and UCLA became the fifth No. 11 seed ever to reach the Final Four.
After dictating the pace all game, eschewing the slick style of Michigan in favor of a rock fight, it only seemed fitting that the underdog Bruins — with two overtime wins in the tournament already — would take it to the buzzer.
They were clinging to a 50-49 lead when top-seeded Michigan called a timeout with 19 seconds to go. Juwan Howard set up an open 3-point look for cold-shooting Franz Wagner, who missed most of everything, and Eli Brooks missed a put-back.
The Wolverines quickly fouled and sent Juzang to the line, where he missed the second of his two free throws with 6.3 seconds left, and Michigan grabbed the rebound. After another timeout, Mike Smith raced up court and unloaded a good look from the wing that was halfway down before bouncing back out.
The buzzer sounded but the officials halted the Bruins’ celebration, putting a half-second back on the clock. That was enough time for Michigan to inbound to Wagner, who again let fly a 3-pointer that clanked off the iron.
Tyger Campbell added 11 points for UCLA (22-9), and Hunter Dickinson led the Wolverines (23-5) with 11 points.
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