Words don't do it justice.
A 🏀 game for the ages.
Gonzaga and UCLA on Friday faced off in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was a 🤼 between two esteemed programs with a history of 💅🏼-biting skirmishes.
Gonzaga, the no. 3 seed, started strong behind star Drew Timme, who was on 🔥 in the early going, scoring nine of their first 11 points. But UCLA, the no. 2 seed, went on 🔒-down mode on defense and played beautiful 🎶 on offense. The Bruins erected a 13-point lead, 46-33, at halftime.
The Bulldogs were like 🥵.
But if there's one thing the NCAA Tournament has seared into everyone's 🧠, no lead is safe.
Gonzaga slowly 🔪 the lead behind the unstoppable Timme, who continued to 💪🏻. The moustache-brandishing big man also got valuable support from Julian Strawther and Malachi Smith. All of a sudden, they were ahead again, 61-59, with 9:10 in the 🕘.
The Bruins were like 😬.
Down by nine points, 72-63, with only 1:32 left, it looked like UCLA was 💀 in the 💦.
But seasoned forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said 🙅. He almost singlehandedly 💉 new life into the Bruins, scoring eight points in their gallant 10-3 🏃 to cut the Bulldogs' lead to a single bucket, 75-73 with 25 seconds remaining. It's a 🌪 affair.
Timme, who already scored 36 points, was intentionally fouled in the ensuing possession and was sent to the line. Gonzaga was like 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. But the two-time reigning WCC Player of the Year went 🥶 and missed both free throws! 😮😮😮😮😮
Now, UCLA was like 😎😎😎😎😎.
Then, as 🆒 as a 🥒, Bruins guard Amari Bailey drained a three-pointer to get the lead, 76-75, with 13 ticks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY 🐄!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gonzaga was like 😓😓😓😓😓 and UCLA was like 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳.
But the NCAA Tournament is not dubbed March Madness for nothing.
After a timeout, the Bulldogs inbounded the ball from the other end of the court. With a 🐋-sized confidence and a 💙 of a 🦁, the 20-year-old Strawther NONCHALANTLY SANK A 👌 FROM NEAR THE LOGO FOR THE 78-76 LEAD WITH SEVEN SECONDS LEFTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY 💩!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone: 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Also everyone: 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
UCLA was like 😭😭😭😭😭. Strawther was like 😤😤😤😤😤. Timme was like 😅😅😅😅😅.
The Bruins had one last chance to send the game into overtime or win it. But Tyger Campbell turned the ball over. Strawther was fouled and sank one 🆓 throw for the final score. Gonzaga escaped the 🎢 of a match, 79-76, to march on to the Elite Eight. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Strawther, who finished with 16 points, should have free 🍺 and 🍕 for life in Spokane, Washington.
The game was out of this 🌍. A true 💯. Emotion after emotion. It's one of those games that's difficult to write.
So sometimes, emojis are 👍👍👍👍👍.