TV take: Ryan Nembhard asserts himself in second half of Gonzaga’s loss to UCLA
Just about every time Gonzaga and UCLA have met this century, the game has been a tense, exciting affair. No matter the stakes.
Saturday’s nonconference matchup, the first college game in Steve Ballmer’s technology-infused palace, the Intuit Dome located in the L.A. suburb of Inglewood, wasn’t for a berth in the NCAA championship game. Or an Elite Eight matchup. But it was still important for both teams’ March resume.
And it came down to the wire again. But this time, the Bruins prevailed, overcoming Ryan Nembhard and the Zags 65-62 in another battle between the West Coast’s two best programs. The Fox broadcast team of Jason Benetti and analyst Jim Jackson were there to document it all.
What they saw …
• The story of this one may well be Nembhard’s second half. The senior point guard, with the seeming president of his fan club, Jackson, spending his second consecutive Saturday dealing out advice and praise, took over after halftime.
In the 20 minutes he scored 14 (of his 16) points, added five assists and just one turnover.
His play, and that of Graham Ike, who had 11 points in the half and 24 overall, helped the Zags rally and lead 60-58 on Nembhard’s jumper with less than a minute left.
Jackson, who spent the entire first half saying Nembhard had to be more aggressive, was beaming, if the comments we heard were reflected in his face.
“It’s a different dynamic when he’s aggressive and looking to score,” Jackson said after one Nembhard second-half bucket.
“I’m sitting over here like a proud papa,” he said just a bit later after a Nembhard transition jumper. “Seriously. Because I just love to see when players like that really exert themselves a little bit more.”
That he did. Even after a key call went against Gonzaga and UCLA had built a three-point lead with 13 seconds left.
After a timeout, Nembhard attacked off a pass, split the UCLA defense and was fouled making a contorted layup. It was 63-62 with 8 seconds left.
Jackson was ecstatic. But a free throw remained. After a Bruins timeout, Nembhard came up short. UCLA rebounded, was fouled and Skyy Clark made both free throws with 5.5 left.
Who would take the last shot? Nembhard, of course. But he, according to Jackson, seemed to panic a little, and took it at half court with almost 2 seconds left. It missed and the Bruins (11-2) survived.
What we saw …
• Sometimes something bad can lead to something good. It happened for the Bulldogs in the first half, as they were struggling to stay close to a suddenly hot UCLA team.
The Bruins went on a run and led by eight with 4:13 left. UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. cut backdoor and caught Khalif Battle sleeping. The Bruins found Dailey at the rim with Battle trailing. The Arkansas transfer bit on Dailey’s up-fake and shoulder bump, rising above the wing and losing balance.
As Battle came down, he grabbed and landed entangled with Dailey.
Keith Kimble, on the baseline, immediately crossed his arms above his head, indicating a flagrant foul.
It was a Flagrant 1 originally. The three officials, Kimble, Kipp Kissinger and Jeff Anderson, known nationally for running down the court lifting his knees, watched the video and upgraded it to a Flagrant 2. Battle was ejected.
“A huge, huge loss because we’ve seen it against UConn, this young man can get on fire at any minute,” said Jackson, who teamed with Benetti for the Zags’ loss to UConn in New York. “I don’t think Khalif Battle intentionally meant to harm Dailey in that situation, but because he got elevated, he tried to protect himself.
“Unfortunately, Dailey, he grabs him around the neck and shoulder area and now he’s regulated to watching the game from the locker room.”
After Dailey’s foul shots and the ensuing UCLA possession, the Bruins had their biggest lead, 27-16. But in the final 4 minutes, the Zags (9-4) went on a 9-0 run and trailed by just a bucket.
• The flagrant calls didn’t end there. Early in the second half, Michael Ajayi posted on the left side of the key alone and received an entry pass.
Tyler Bilodeau, the Kamiakin (Kennewick) High grad and Oregon State transfer, closed hard to catch up. Ajayi pivoted with his elbows out, his trail one catching Bilodeau in the chin as the Bruin tried to defend.
Kissinger immediately whistled Ajayi for an offensive foul. The trio went to the video monitor again, and upgraded the foul to a Flagrant 1, which meant Bilodeau shot two free throws and UCLA received the ball. Again, the call seemed to incite another Zags rally. The Bruins led by eight after that call. The Bulldogs scored the next seven points.
• In a twist, however, UCLA’s Sebastian Mack seemed to have taken a page out of Ayaji’s playbook in the last minute. Guarded by Emmanuel Innocenti, playing because of Battle’s ejection, Mack drove toward the hoop with UCLA down 60-58. He led with his left elbow, directly into Innocenti’s chin, knocking him back and drawing a whistle. On Innocenti.
Jackson and Benetti were a bit taken aback. Watching the replay, Jackson felt it was worse than the contact called on Ajayi. So did Benetti, who felt it should have been an offensive foul. Zags coach Mark Few may have felt the same, but his pleas to Kissinger and Smart for a replay review went unanswered.
Mack hit the ensuing free throw and UCLA led by one.
• UCLA was coming off a 76-74 loss to North Carolina the same place and day the Zags lost to UConn. In that one, the Bruins blew a 16-point lead, as the Tar Heels took advantage of UCLA’s constant fouling.
UNC shot 35 free throws as the Bruins were called for 25 fouls. The Heels outscored UCLA by nine from the line.
In this one, the Bruins shot 18 free throws, hitting 13. They were called for 15 personals. Gonzaga was called for 15 fouls as well and shot eight free throws.
All seven days after UCLA coach Mick Cronin complained about the whistles in New York.