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Tough fight: Undefeated Gonzaga takes narrow lead on UCLA into halftime

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Gonzaga was a heavy favorite entering Saturday night’s Final Four showdown, but UCLA has other plans in mind.

The Bulldogs used a 15-8 run to close out the half to take a 45-44 advantage into the locker room through the first 20 minutes of the game. So far, Gonzaga and UCLA have exchanged leads 10 times in what has been an entertaining half.

Johnny Juzang was the spark for UCLA, scoring 15 points in the opening half. Tyger Campbell added 9 points and Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 8. Gonzaga was led by Joel Ayayi who had 15 points. Drew Timme had 8 and Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs each had 7.

Both teams are shooting the ball extremely well, with UCLA hitting on 57.7% of its shots and Gonzaga hitting on an impressive 60.7% of its attempts. There were only 9 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, with the Bruins committing 5 and the Bulldogs having 4.

Below are some highlights:

Gonzaga is trying to become the first team in college basketball since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers to go undefeated and win a national championship. That team was 32-0. The Bulldogs are currently 30-0.

UCLA is an 11-seed, trying to get to the championship after playing in a First Four game.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB