March Madness: No. 3 seed Gonzaga hangs on against TCU team to win 84-81

An intense back-and-forth contest ended in favor of the Gonzaga Bulldogs of Spokane, Washington – who hung on to beat TCU 80-73.

The ‘Zags’ are moving on to the Sweet 16 for the eighth consecutive time dating back to the 2015 NCAA Tournament (the 2020 tournament was cancelled due to COVID).

Forward Drew Timme led the way for Gonzaga – putting up 28 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block.

Bettors were left reeling after a last second shot by TCU’s Damion Baugh to make it 84-81.

Bettors sweated out the final five seconds of the game as Gonzaga led, and was covering, 82-75, but Rondel Walker made a three-pointer with 3.4 seconds to go to make it 82-78.

Gonzaga is moving on to their eighth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance after beating TCU

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Bettors were left reeling after a last second shot by TCU’s Damion Baugh to make it 84-81

Gonzaga’s Hunter Sallis was then fouled with .7 of a second left, and he went on to make both free throws to see the Zags covering again, 84-78.

But every bettors’ worst nightmare then happened as Baugh picked up the ball inside the logo and let it fly as the buzzer sounded. TCU’s 3-pointer beat the clock and the spread of 4.5 points.

The scenes in Las Vegas showed gamblers throw their heads into their hands at the buzzer-beating shot. 

Rasir Bolton added 17 points for the Bulldogs (30-5), who will face second-seeded UCLA (31-5) on Thursday in Las Vegas. Malachi Smith scored 11 points and Julian Strawther had 10 points and nine rebounds for Gonzaga. 

Mike Miles Jr. scored 24 points for the Horned Frogs (22-13). Damion Baugh registered 15 points and eight rebounds and Emanuel Miller scored 14 points.

Gonzaga made 44.8 percent of its field-goal attempts and was 8 of 25 from 3-point range. Anton Watson had 12 rebounds and three steals.

The Horned Frogs shot 44.8 percent from the field, including 9 of 25 from behind the arc.

Baugh’s layup capped a 6-0 run and pulled the Horned Frogs within 73-70 with 2:11 remaining. Timme’s layup gave Gonzaga a five-point edge with 1:43 remaining while Strawther and Watson each split two free throws to make it 77-70 lead with 1:01 left.

JaKobe Coles drained a 3-pointer with 45.6 seconds left to cut the TCU deficit to four. Bolton made two free throws with 42.5 seconds left and Timme split two free throws with 32.4 seconds remaining to give the Zags a seven-point lead as they closed it out to post their eighth 30-win campaign in the past 11 seasons.

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Drew Timme (right) led the way for Gonzaga with 28 points, eight rebounds, and three assists

Mike Miles scored eight points in a TCU push — to take a 55-50 advantage with 12:14 left

‘We cannot be the team that (messes) this one up,’ Timme said of the Sweet Sixteen winning streak. ‘It’s just a testament to Coach (Mark Few) and the program he had. We got some dogs over here and we fight no matter what happens.’

Gonzaga trailed most of the first half but showed life early in the second when Bolton made two 3-pointers and Strawther hit one during a 9-2 push that gave the Bulldogs a 46-45 lead with 15:52 remaining.

TCU answered with a 10-4 push — Miles scored eight of the points — to take a 55-50 advantage with 12:14 left.

Gonzaga then exploded with 13 consecutive points. Bolton converted a three-point play and Smith and Timme knocked down 3-pointers as the Bulldogs took a 63-55 lead with 8:38 remaining.

The Horned Frogs rattled off the next six points with Miller’s basket pulling them within two with 7:20 left.

Gonzaga’s 13-point push saw them rally to retake the lead and seal the Horned Frogs’ fate

Of those eight-straight Sweet 16 berths, Gonzaga made the Elite Eight four times

Smith nailed a straightaway 3-pointer with 6:43 left and Timme scored on a putback with 4:52 left to give Gonzaga a 68-61 lead.

Watson’s dunk gave the Zags a 73-64 lead with 3:27 left.

Miles had 10 first-half points as TCU led 38-33 at the break. Timme scored 11 in the half for Gonzaga.

TCU led 25-15 on two free throws by Miles with 7:30 left. The Bulldogs later were within 33-31 after a three-point play by Watson with 2:13 left.