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Video: Jalen Suggs OT Buzzer-Beater Gives Gonzaga Final Four Win over UCLA
April 4, 2021
Jalen Suggs knocked down one of the biggest shots in Final Four history on Saturday, banking in a half-court shot as time expired in overtime to lift No. 1 Gonzaga over No. 11 UCLA, 93-90, and keep the Bulldogs' perfect season intact.
Now 31-0, the Zags will face No. 1 Baylor for the national championship on Monday night—pitting the top two teams all season against each other at last.
It's all thanks to Suggs, who picked up the ball with 3.3 seconds remaining after UCLA knotted things at 90, took three dribbles and let his shot fly into the history books.
Gonzaga entered the Final Four as 14-point favorites, but couldn't find any separation from UCLA all night as Johnny Juzang, Tyger Campbell and Jamie Jaquez Jr. combined for 65 points and kept the game within three possessions all night. The Zags countered with 25 points from Drew Timme, 22 from Joel Ayayi and 16 from Suggs.
A likely lottery pick when the NBA draft rolls around this summer, Suggs shot is reminiscent of some of the most epic March Madness moments. This one goes up there with Christian Laettner over Kentucky, Mario Chalmers against Memphis, Kris Jenkins for the title against North Carolina and Lorenzo Charles over Houston.
Suggs was in shock afterwards, telling the CBS broadcast he'd been missing his half-court heaves in practice lately, but Gonzaga head coach Mark Few gave him more credit than that, telling CBS that Suggs has always been the go-to guy whenever the team practices late-game situations like that.
On Saturday it paid off. It paid off for Few, for Suggs and for a Gonzaga program on the cusp of becoming the first undefeated national champions since the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 en route to the title.
The Bulldogs get their shot to join the Hoosiers on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis thanks to Suggs.