Gonzaga vs. UCLA: Score and Twitter Reaction from March Madness 2015

Cinderella no more.

Gonzaga may have been an underdog story the last time it reached the Elite Eight in 1999, but it played the role of favorite perfectly Friday during its 74-62 victory over UCLA.

The Bruins threatened for a few minutes early in the second half, but the Bulldogs dominated the majority of the proceedings. Przemek Karnowski led the way for Gonzaga with 18 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists.

"For me it was always a dream to be here and to play deep into the NCAA tournament," Karnowski said after the game, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "And right now I'm here and I'm trying to enjoy every second of it."

In all, four different Bulldogs finished in double figures in scoring.

Tony Parker spearheaded the UCLA efforts with 16 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bruins as a whole shot 3-of-13 from three-point range. The Bruins rely on their perimeter shooting to win games, and it proved to be their undoing.

ESPN Stats & Info had more on UCLA's perimeter woes:

Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports congratulated Gonzaga and coach Mark Few after the impressive performance:

Gonzaga wasted little time establishing control and jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first half. However, UCLA trimmed into the advantage a bit and went into the locker room with a 35-28 deficit. 

ESPN Stats & Info provided a potential talking point for the coaches when it came to offensive strategy:

"

Mark Few had never been to the Elite 8 as head coach before tonight. Symbolic to beat UCLA after 2006 collapse. Congrats #Zags

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 28, 2015"

UCLA started the second half with a spark and went on a small 6-0 run to make it a one-possession game. It looked like the fans were in for a thrilling March Madness finish, but Darnay Tripp of KREM 2 in Spokane noted that the Bulldogs had other plans:

Gonzaga continued its run and extended the lead to 47-34 with less than 13 minutes remaining. ESPN commentator Jay Williams provided a suggestion for the struggling UCLA offense:

Part of the concern for both teams offensively coming into the game was the shooting background of the large NRG Stadium in Houston. Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports pointed out the concern was justified, while Eric Prisbell of USA Today commented on the continued trend late in the game:

Even with the lack of outside shooting, Gonzaga's Domantas Sabonis provided some excitement with a rim-rattling slam over the top of the UCLA defense. ESPN's Myron Medcalf and Bleacher Report's C.J. Moore both commented on the play:

Sabonis wasn't the only one making plays down low for Gonzaga as it opened up a commanding 55-41 advantage, as SI College Hoops noted:

Karnowski brought the Gonzaga fans to their feet with less than six minutes remaining when he beat a double-team with a silky smooth behind-the-back dish to Sabonis for an easy basket. ESPN's Jeff Goodman didn't hold back the praise, while Tripp commented on the ecstatic supporters:

The crowd seemed to sense what was perfectly clear—Gonzaga was simply better than UCLA. It proved it during the regular-season matchup, and it put on an absolute clinic in the second half Friday to open up a seemingly insurmountable lead.

Lost Letterman paid homage to the last time the Bruins and Bulldogs faced each other in the NCAA tournament and pointed out that this was a much different result:

Gonzaga easily finished the job in the final minutes, even though UCLA finally hit a few three-pointers, although they were far too little, too late. Mandel noted that this is rare territory for the Bulldogs while suggesting they are a team to watch out for moving forward:

Gonzaga was never really challenged after the initial minutes of the second half when UCLA went on a quick burst, which is a scary notion for the rest of the field.

What's Next?

Gonzaga's next game will be in the Elite Eight on Sunday against the winner of the Duke and Utah clash. All that stands in the way of the Bulldogs' first-ever trip to the Final Four is a single victory in that game.

If it is Utah, it will be yet another matchup between Gonzaga and a Pac-12 team. The Bulldogs beat UCLA once during the regular season and again Friday and took Arizona to overtime on the road in one of the most thrilling regular-season contests of the year.

Duke, the No. 1 seed in the South Region, would pose a difficult test.

The Bulldogs would be forced to deal with dominant big man Jahlil Okafor in that scenario, which would be much more difficult than anything they have faced thus far in this tournament. Karnowski would have his hands full in the paint.

Moore commented on the potential showdown:

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Utah has a talented 7-footer of its own in Jakob Poeltl, meaning the South Region final will feature a battle of the bigs no matter which team advances.