INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a thrilling matchup, Eric Dailey Jr. showcased his shooting skills, scoring 18 points with four 3-pointers, helping No. 22 UCLA narrowly defeat 14th-ranked Gonzaga 65-62 on Saturday. This game marked the inaugural college basketball event held at the new Intuit Dome, which is now home to the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
The action heightened as Ryan Nembhard scored to give Gonzaga a 60-58 lead with only 56 seconds remaining. However, the Bruins (11-2) quickly answered back, scoring five consecutive points. Sebastian Mack completed a three-point play with 33 seconds left to swing the momentum back to UCLA, followed by Skyy Clark sinking two free throws to widen their lead.
Nembhard wasn’t finished yet; he raced down the court to score while drawing a foul. Nonetheless, his attempt to even the score by making a free throw after a timeout fell short with just 8 seconds left on the clock.
The drama continued as Graham Ike fouled Clark, who calmly converted both free throws, extending UCLA’s advantage to 65-62 with a mere 5 seconds to go. Nembhard’s desperate half-court 3-pointer at the buzzer failed to find the mark.
Ike emerged as Gonzaga’s (9-4) leading scorer with 24 points and eight rebounds, with Nembhard contributing 16 points and eight assists. Despite their efforts, the day was challenging offensively for both sides in the 18,000-seat arena, with Graham shooting 11 of 16 from the field.
UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau struggled against Ike, scoring only seven points, significantly below his average of 15.1 points per game.
In the aftermath, Gonzaga fell to 3-4 on neutral courts, while UCLA improved their neutral record to 2-2, rebounding from a close defeat to North Carolina the previous weekend.
Key moments included the ejection of Gonzaga starter Khalif Battle, who scored five points before being tossed for a flagrant-2 foul against Dailey with 4:12 left in the first half, prompting an intense reaction from UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who angrily removed his jacket. Tensions flared early in the second half, leading to double technical fouls called on Dailey and Nembhard.
A notable statistic from the game highlighted Gonzaga’s shooting struggles; they managed just 2 out of 11 from beyond the arc in the first half while facing an 11-point deficit, though they found some rhythm with five 3-pointers in the second half.
Looking ahead, Gonzaga will remain in the Los Angeles area to take on Pepperdine on Monday, while UCLA is scheduled to visit Nebraska for a Big Ten matchup on January 4.
