Hometown hero Julian Strawther lives dream in Gonzaga victory

The Gonzaga Bulldogs surround guard Julian Strawther (0) after he scored a late three-pointer during the 2nd half of a West Regional NCAA semifinal video game versus the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Las Vegas. Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) leaves the court after winning a West Regional NCAA semifinal video game against the UCLA Bruins at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Las Vegas. Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Hunter Sallis (5) leaps to pass after snagging ownership from UCLA Bruins guard Tyger Campbell, second from right, while Bruins forward Kenneth Nwuba (14) enjoys the ball throughout the 2nd half of a West Regional NCAA semifinal game at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Julian Strawther was having a night to forget on the offensive end in his very first NCAA Tournament video game in his hometown.

Then he developed a minute that will be remembered permanently in the West Regional semifinals.

Strawther had made just four of his first 14 shots from the field when he calmly tracked the ball down the court, caught a toss back from Hunter Sallis and drained a long 3-pointer with his back foot on the March Madness logo design at midcourt with 7.2 seconds staying. The shot sent Gonzaga to the Elite Eight with a wild 79-76 win Thursday over UCLA at T-Mobile Arena.

" A moment like that you can't even comprise," the Liberty High School alum stated. "For it to take place here in Vegas is simply the cherry on top."

" This is my city!" Strawther repeatedly yelled during the celebration.

Third-seeded Gonzaga (31-5) advances to play No. 4 Connecticut (28-8), an 88-65 winner over Arkansas in the first video game Thursday, in the Elite Eight at 5:49 p.m. Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

The dramatics removed a bit of a late disaster by the Bulldogs. Gonzaga held No. 2 seed UCLA (31-6) without a field goal for more than 11:20 in the second half to open a 10-point lead with 2:40 left only to fall back on Amari Bailey's 3-pointer with 14 seconds remaining.

Strawther's shot came on a play that looked an awful lot like the one made well-known by Villanova's Kris Jenkins in the 2016 championship game video game triumph over North Carolina.

However when Gonzaga coach Mark Few drew it up in the huddle, he did it with the concept of Strawther taking the ball at the top of the secret and driving to the rim. Strawther asked if he had the thumbs-up to bring up and shoot it if the defense backed off, and Few offered him the thumbs-up.

It proved to be a good concept. Strawther's shot swished right through the internet and had both sides thinking not so much of the Villanova shot, but of the 30-foot video game winner by Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs that beat UCLA in a 2021 Final Four game.

" UCLA has the heart of a champion," Few stated. "Fortunately we were able to hold them off. Julian struck a big shot, similar to his pal Jalen did a few years ago."

After the shot, Strawther ripped the ball from the clutches of Tyger Campbell on the other end and made one of 2 complimentary throws with 1.1 seconds on the clock. Campbell's desperation heave struck the backboard and the rim prior to being up to the court and triggering an event as Strather's teammates encircled the hero.

It wasn't long prior to Strawther found his household in the front row and welcomed his father, Lee.

" You dream about that all the time from the time he's little," Lee Strawther said. "In the driveway, at the gym. He's practiced that a lot of times to count. It's every gamer's dream to be in that situation.

" Then on a hard shooting night for him, he doesn't care. He stepped up and took the shot. That's a testament to him. He has self-confidence."

Strawther finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He had simply 2 points in the first half as the Bulldogs struggled to discover their game.

It was Drew Timme who kept them afloat. He looked every bit the part of the best player in the country with 36 points and 13 rebounds, including 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the first half.

" It took an excellent gamer in Timme, a 35-foot shot and a hard whistle to send us home," UCLA coach Mick Cronin stated.

Gonzaga routed 46-33 at the break due to the fact that it had actually committed 9 turnovers to simply one for UCLA while permitting the Bruins to shoot 51 percent from the field.

When they dug their heels in and clamped down on the defensive end, the Bulldogs chipped away and trailed 59-52 with 12:34 remaining. Gonzaga required UCLA to miss its next 11 shots from the field and held the Bruins without a field goal until Jaime Jaquez Jr. was and struck a layup fouled with 1:14 to play.

Gonzaga still led by six at the time and didn't anticipate to need Strawther's heroics.

" That was one shining moment," he said. "That's the best way to describe it."

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.