Two West Coast powerhouse programs take the court on Saturday when the UCLA Bruins and Gonzaga Bulldogs meet in Inglewood.
Saturday, December 29th, 4:00 pm ET. FOX
Location: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA
The UCLA Bruins and Gonzaga Bulldogs renew their fight for West Coast supremacy on Saturday afternoon, doing battle at the sparkling new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, a clear homecourt advantage for Mick Cronin’s team.
These two schools have played in some memorable games over the years. One of the best games in recent college basketball history saw the Zags’ Jalen Suggs nail a buzzer beater to knock out the Bruins in the Final Four back in 2021.
This year’s version of the game will pit two teams against each other that appear relatively well matched. Both teams are ranked in the AP Top 25 (Gonzaga is 14th, UCLA is 22nd) and the two teams have lost a combined five games as the end of non-conference play nears.
The Bruins are a week removed from their second loss of the season, a tight two-point loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. They’re led by junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, who is averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his first season after transferring from Oregon State.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, enter the competition on a two-game winning streak, beating Bucknell and Nicholls State handily. Prior to that, Mark Few’s team lost two straight, close defeats at the hands of Kentucky (in overtime) and UConn.
UCLA has one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing just 58.4 points per game. The key for the Bruins is forcing turnovers: the 18.4 per game they force ranked second in the country prior to the relative Christmas quiet. Kobe Johnson leads the Big Ten with 2.3 steals per game.
In Gonzaga’s last big game, the loss to UConn, Nolan Hickman completely disappeared, held off the scoresheet or his 12 minutes of play. That can’t happen again if the Bulldogs are to prevail.
The environment of the game will be something to watch. The game is the first of a doubleheader on the day, with San Diego State and Grand Canyon to follow. But Gonzaga and UCLA represent the first college basketball game in Intuit Dome history.
This game is part of a two-year series agreed to by the two schools. The second date will be next December and will be closer to home for Gonzaga, the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Gonzaga owns the all-time series, winning seven of the nine games played between the teams. The Bulldogs are also on a four-game winning streak in the head-to-head series.
Last year, the teams met in Hawaii, playing for fifth place in the Maui Invitational. Despite blowing a 13-point lead in the first half, Gonzaga came away with a tight victory over the Bruins. They were led by a career-high 32 points from Anton Watson, who won’t be involved this year; he’s on a two-way contract with the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Prediction: Gonzaga 80, UCLA 70
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