University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
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 – 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.
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.
Anton Watson scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Bulldogs in the scoring column on Wednesday evening.
"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 … 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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
