Gonzaga’s overtime thriller against UCLA nominated for Best Game at The ESPYS

Score tied, 3.3 seconds left, Jalen Suggs covers roughly half the court with three dribbles and banks home a 40-footer at the buzzer to decide Gonzaga’s 93-90 overtime win against UCLA during the Final Four.

Gonzaga fans probably don’t need a replay to remember every detail of ‘The Shot,’ but they’ll have plenty of chances to see reruns of the memorable play during the ESPYS awards show July 10 on ABC.

The Gonzaga-UCLA thriller in April, which ranks among the greatest games in NCAA Tournament and Final Four history, is one of four nominees for the Best Game award at the 2021 ESPYS.

The other candidates: Stanford’s 54-53 win over Arizona in the NCAA women’s title game, giving the Cardinal and head coach Tara VanDerveer their first championship in 29 years; Baltimore’s wild 47-42 win over Cleveland on Monday Night Football; and Kyle Connor’s goal in triple overtime as Winnipeg edged Edmonton 4-3 to sweep the first-round NHL playoff series.

Gonzaga’s win over UCLA was an instant classic, featuring 15 ties, 19 lead changes and high-level offensive execution. The top-seeded Zags shot 58.7% from the field while 11th-seeded UCLA was right behind at 57.6%.

The Bruins had a chance to break a tie late in regulation, but Gonzaga’s Drew Timme drew a charging foul on Johnny Juzang. The UCLA standout tied the score in overtime with a putback basket with 3.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Suggs.

Timme and Joel Ayayi combined for 47 points. Juzang led the Bruins with 29.

The win, which ended GU’s streak of 27 straight double-digit victories, propelled the Zags into the championship game. Baylor ended Gonzaga’s bid for an unbeaten season with an 86-70 win.

Baylor is one of seven candidates for the Best Team award. The others are the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Storm, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Alabama football, Oklahoma softball and Stanford women’s basketball.

Fans can vote on ESPYS awards at: www.espn.com/espys/