The Gonzaga Bulldogs once again fell just short of winning the NCAA Tournament after they were destroyed by the UConn Huskies, 82-54, in the Elite Eight.
Every year, Gonzaga Bulldogs fans and those who fill out their March Madness brackets believe that this could be the season in which the team finally wins the national championship. Gonzaga is one of the big names in the mens basketball tourney, but they have had a reputation of falling short. They made it to the national championship game twice in their program’s history, and lost both times.
Unfortunately for Gonzaga and the fanbase, 2023 was not their year either.
After defeating the No. 2 UCLA Bruins in a thrilling Sweet 16 game, No. 3 Gonzaga faced off against the No. 4 UConn Huskies. This was going to be a tough matchup for the Bulldogs, and that was the correct assessment, as they were destroyed 82-54 in the Elite Eight to get eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
As has been the case nearly every year, Twitter users shared their thoughts on yet another instance in which Gonzaga failed to win their ever-elusive first national championship.
Twitter trolls Gonzaga after getting destroyed by UConn in NCAA Tournament
Even though the Bulldogs entered halftime trailing by the score of 39-32, the Huskies just piled on in the second half, scoring 43 points. As for Gonzaga, they could only muster 22 second half points.
As a team, the Bulldogs shot 20-for-60 from the field, a dismal 2-for-20 from the three-point line, and 12-for-22 from the free throw line. Compare that to the Huskies making 30-of-72 shots from the field, 11-of-31 from the three-point line, and 11-of-14 from the charity stripe.
With this victory, UConn has now outscored all opponents by 90 points in this NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga star Drew Timme, in what could be his final game with the program, recorded 12 points (5-for-14 from field), 10 rebounds, four assists, and three turnovers in 31 minutes played.
UConn sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins led the way for his team in terms of point, scoring 20 (6-for-15 from field, 6-for-10 from three point line), while hauling in six rebounds.
As mentioned earlier, Gonzaga had only made it to the national championship game twice in their program’s history. Here’s how they fared in both showings:
- 2017: Lost 71-65 to North Carolina Tar Heels
- 2021: Lost 86-70 to Baylor Bears
In fact, those two trips to the national championship game were also the only times that Gonzaga made it to the Final Four. They now hold a 2-4 all-time record in the Elite Eight with their loss to UConn.
Much like in the past, Gonzaga will be looking forward to next year, hoping that it is finally the season they take home a national championship.
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