Gonzaga Enters NCAA Men’s Final Favored over Baylor

THE MADNESS ENDS MONDAY!

The 2021 NCAA Tournament national title game is SET, as the No. 1 seed Baylor Bears take on the overall No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs at 9 pm ET!

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The ‘Zags advanced on an absolutely remarkable shot by Jalen Suggs at the end of overtime. He hit a 3-point shot from inside the midcourt stripe to sink UCLA, 93-90. The hoop came after Johnny Juzang missed a shot and got the offensive rebound to tie things with 3.3 seconds left in Saturday’s second semifinal.

“I knew when he shot it it was going in,” Coach Mark Few said, adding Suggs makes those all the time in practices.

BANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Jalen Suggs WINS IT FOR GONZAGA in overtime!#UCLAvsGONZ #UnitedWeZag #GoBruins #FinalFour #MarchMadness

pic.twitter.com/OVL1NopVkB

— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) April 4, 2021

In December, the powerhouses were set to play before the matchup was canceled hours before tipoff due to positive tests within Gonzaga’s program.

They advanced to the title game in different fashions.

This angle of Jalen Suggs’ game-winner is ART. 🎨

(🎥: @marchmadness) pic.twitter.com/ubF0JmpE0J

— theScore (@theScore) April 4, 2021

Trouble Was Bruin for Gonzaga

The 11th seeded UCLA Bruins gave the ‘Zags a stiff test before the Bulldogs escaped on Suggs’ shot.

It was UCLA’s third overtime game in the tournament before the clock struck 12 for the Cinderella Bruins.

UCLA had a chance to win the game in regulation but was called for an offensive foul in the final second with the game tied at 81.

That led to one NBA legend weighing in on the call.

Hahaha! Everything is a CHARGE in HS and College ball. EVERYTHING

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 4, 2021

Gonzaga got a critical 3-pointer from Andrew Nembhard to make it 90-85 in the extra session. However, the Bruins continued to scrap and got even on Juzang’s offensive rebound.

That set the stage for Suggs’ shot.

The Bulldogs get a chance to complete the first perfect season since Indiana accomplished the feat in 1975-76.

A Blowout

The first semifinal was a laugher. Baylor blitzed Houston to the tune of a 45-20 halftime lead and crushed the Cougars, 78-59.

Baylor’s 45-20 edge entering the break was the largest halftime lead in a Final Four game in 18 years and the fourth largest in Final Four history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Marcus Sasser had scored 17 points at that juncture. The rest of the Cougars had combined to record just three by halftime.

“That’s the best team that I’ve seen in the seven years I’ve been at Houston,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said. “They’re really, really good. I keep going back to them: Butler, Mitchell, Teague, Flagler, Mayer. I don’t think I’ve seen a team with five guards at that level. No drop-off, and they’re good at both ends.”

Baylor is coached by Scott Drew and has suffered two losses. The Bears lost at Kansas in its second game back before losing to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament semifinals.

The Bears (27-2) will attempt to win their first national championship in program history. Baylor has made only one previous national championship game appearance in 1948, losing to Kentucky, 58-42.

How Baylor got to the Final Four

“I know whoever it will be, it will be a hard-fought game,” Drew said on Saturday. “Coach Few and I joked when the game got canceled and we went to the arena and we did a press conference saying that the game was canceled and whatnot. And as we were riding back we were, like, you know what, if we end up playing this game in the Final Four or the championship game, that sounds like a better idea, so that was obviously the goal for both of us.

“And I know we’re there. And we’ll see if [it’s] Gonzaga or UCLA. … Again, whoever you play, is going to be a great matchup and both of them are great teams.”