The Gonzaga Bulldogs just barely hung on against the West Virginia Mountaineers in a 61-58 victory in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. The game was tight from buzzer to buzzer, with neither team leading by more than eight points and usually never more than three.
March Madness bracket update: Gonzaga outlasts West Virginia in frantic final minute
This was a thrilling game from start to finish.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Gonzaga’s Jordan Mathews had sat more than four minutes with foul trouble, but he came off the bench with a minute left to nail an enormous three-pointer that put the Bulldogs up 60-58 for perhaps the biggest shot of the tournament so far.
On a final possession, Jevon Carter attempted two game-tying threes, only to see both fall short. West Virginia got the offensive rebound again, but Carter was swarmed and couldn’t get off a shot as time expired for Gonzaga’s victory.
For a moment earlier in the game, it looked like Gonzaga might finally pull away. In the first half, neither team ever led by more than five points, and it was a game tied at 30 to end the first half. With 14 minutes left, Przemek Karnowski nailed a mid-range jumper to push the Bulldogs ahead 45-37 — the biggest lead of the game to that point. But they couldn’t capitalize on the advantage, with Carter responding with six straight points to narrow that gap for WVU.
West Virginia’s relentlessness and Gonzaga’s mental mistakes showed up later in the second half. Tied at 49, the Mountaineers worked an entire possession only to turn it over with the shot clock coming. But Karnowski fumbled the ball, immediately giving West Virginia another possession. West Virginia took the clock down again and missed a three-pointer, but Gonzaga committed an over-the-back foul, giving the ball back. That put West Virginia on the line, where they hit the first and missed the second — only for Gonzaga to have the rebound and fumble it out of bounds again thanks to frantic defense.
On the ensuing possession, West Virginia quickly got an open layup to go up 52-49 — crucial points in an incredibly close game. Fortunately, it didn’t end up costing the Zags.
For Gonzaga, Karnowski has an incredible comeback story, and he made his 300-pound frame felt at times. He finished with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
Next up for Gonzaga is the winner of Thursday’s Arizona vs. Xavier matchup. That Elite Eight game will be played on Saturday.
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