UCLA
4-2,0-0Pac-12
Gonzaga
4-1,0-0WCC
Bruins Fall to No. 11 Gonzaga, 69-65
November 22, 2023 | Men's Basketball
HONOLULU โ Junior Lazar Stefanovic and freshman Sebastian Mack each scored a team-high 16 points as the UCLA men's basketball team fell to No. 11-ranked Gonzaga, 69-65, in the Allstate Maui Invitational on Wednesday evening.
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Stefanovic went 5-for-11 from the field and 4-for-4 at free throw line for the Bruins (4-2), while also adding eight rebounds and three steals. Mack finished the night 4-for-10 from the floor and 7-for-9 from the foul line. He tallied seven rebounds, two assists and a steal.
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Anton Watson scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Bulldogs in the scoring column on Wednesday evening.
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"I thought the first eight minutes, our intensity wasn't what it needed to be," said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach. "From there, we started competing a lot harder and gave ourselves a chance. I take my hat off to [Anton] Watson, he was 3-for-3 [from three] and 14-of-15 from the field. He was dominant, carried his team to victory. But I did think there were a lot of positives โฆ Lazar had 16 points and eight rebounds. I thought Ilane Fibleuil showed a lot of heart tonight, and Brandon Williams gave us positive minutes. We have a lot to fix, but I liked the way our guys never gave up despite the fact that we didn't make a lot of shots and Watson was having a career night."
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UCLA trailed Gonzaga throughout Wednesday's contest, but the Bruins reduced a 64-53 deficit with over four minutes to play to just a three-point margin in the final minute. Gonzaga led by a 66-60 tally when Stefanovic nailed a 3-point basket, cutting the Bulldogs' lead to 66-63. The Bruins corralled a steal with 38 seconds left, but UCLA's ensuing attempts to reduce the lead or tie the game were unsuccessful.
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The Bruins opened the game making just one of five shot attempts before Berke Buyuktuncel nailed a 3-pointer, making the score 9-8 in Gonzaga's favor early in the first half. Watson came on strong for the Bulldogs, scoring 10 of Gonzaga's first 13 points.
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Despite struggling to score in the first half, the Bruins entered the locker room at halftime trailing, 38-34. Mack continued his hot run through the tournament, bringing UCLA back from a 13-point deficit with 5:11 left in the half to just six (at 30-24) with 3:55 remaining. He scored two baskets and added a free throw, helping the Bruins cut into the Bulldogs' lead.
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UCLA ended the half down 38-34, after sinking 17 of their 23 foul shots in the half. The Bruins finished the half on a 17-8 run over the final five minutes, and limited Gonzaga to 3-10 from the field over that span. Mack led the Bruins with 10 points and six rebounds in the opening period.
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The Bruins took their first lead of the game since the opening minute of the first half when Stefanovic drilled a triple, giving the Bruins a 39-38 lead as part of 5-0 run to start the second half.ย
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Gonzaga responded with a run of their own, scoring 15 of the next 18 points to take a 53-42 lead with 11:40 left in the game. Adem Bona stemmed the tide with a bucket in the paint to get the Bruins back within single digits, 53-44.
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The two teams traded baskets for the next few minutes before Stefanovic sank a jumper from the free throw line to make it a 64-57 game with 3:44 to go.
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With 2:01 remaining, the Bruins got a defensive stop on one end and Ilane Fibleuil made a layup on the other end to make it a 64-60 contest. After Gonzaga scored on their next possession, Stefanovic knocked down the 3-pointer to pull UCLA to within just three points (66-63).
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The Bruins had two shots in the final 20 seconds, looking to make it a one-possession game. A layup attempt by Mack did not fall, and Stefanovic could not hit a 3-point attempt. Gonzaga sank their foul shots to earn a 69-65 win.
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UCLA will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 30, taking on UC Riverside in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The game will be played at 8 p.m. (PT) and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
