UCLA loses overtime heartbreaker to Gonzaga

The UCLA Bruins’ Cinderella run to the Final Four ends in heartbreaking fashion.

After Johnny Juzang’s lay-in tied it up at 90-90 with 3.3 seconds left in overtime, it looked like it was destined to go to another extra period.

But Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs hit a buzzer-beater from beyond 30-feet out as time expired to the give No. 1 seeded Bulldogs a 93-90 win over the Bruins.

Juzang led UCLA with 29 points and did everything he could to keep his team in it. Mick Cronin’s squad has nothing to hang their head about. The Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed after beating Michigan State in the First Four.

UCLA battled the undefeated Bulldogs every step of the way. The game featured 19 lead changes and 15 ties, showing how close the teams were throughout the affair. The Bruins shot 57.6 percent from the field and kept pace with the top-scoring team in the nation. It came down to which team would have the final possession.

Cronin cemented himself as the right choice to lead the team in just his second season. UCLA’s defense was all-world during the tournament, and the most storied program in NCAA basketball history made its comeback to the national stage.

The Bruins showed grit, toughness and tenacity throughout the tournament and became an adorable underdog. Losing to a Bulldogs team that is 31-0 on the season is nothing to hang their head about.

The magical run ends with disappointment, but hope is on the horizon. Juzang will likely move on to the NBA next season, but this run has brought the program back into the national spotlight.