No. 22 UCLA triumphed over No. 14 Gonzaga with a close score of 65-62, marking a historic moment as it was the inaugural college basketball game held at Intuit Dome, the new venue for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. Eric Dailey Jr. played a pivotal role, contributing 18 points, including four successful 3-pointers.
In a nail-biting finish, Ryan Nembhard’s basket brought the game to a tense tie at 60. However, the Bruins (11-2) quickly responded with a five-point surge. Nembhard managed to drive the court and score while drawing a foul, but he missed the crucial free throw that could have leveled the score with just eight seconds left.
With only five seconds remaining, Graham Ike fouled Skyy Clark, who calmly sank both free throws, securing a 65-62 lead. Nembhard’s desperate 3-point shot from halfcourt fell short as the buzzer sounded.
Ike was the standout for the Bulldogs (9-4), scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Nembhard added 16 points and eight assists to his tally. Despite the overall struggle for offensive rhythm in the 18,000-seat arena, Graham shot 11 of 16 from the floor.
On the other hand, UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau faced a challenging game, finishing with just seven points, significantly below his average of 15.1, as he battled against Ike.
Takeaways
For Gonzaga, this defeat marked a disappointing 3-4 record on neutral courts. Meanwhile, UCLA improved to 2-2 in similar settings after narrowly losing to North Carolina the previous weekend in New York City.
Key moments
The game saw a dramatic turn when Gonzaga lost starter Khalif Battle, who was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul against Dailey with 4:12 left in the first half. The incident led to an emotional reaction from UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who famously tore off his jacket in frustration. Tensions escalated early in the second half when Dailey and Nembhard received double technical fouls.
Key stat
Gonzaga struggled from beyond the arc, shooting only 2 of 11 on 3-point attempts in the first half while trailing by 11 points. They found their rhythm in the second half, hitting five 3-pointers.
Up next
Gonzaga will remain in the Los Angeles area, facing Pepperdine on Monday, while UCLA is set to visit Nebraska on January 4 for a Big Ten matchup.
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