Freshman Sebastian Mack has played very well so far in the Maui Invitational. (Photo Credit: Jan Kim Lim/uclabruins.com)
Tonight, the #24 UCLA Bruins will take on the #11/10 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Fifth Place Game of the Maui Invitational at 9 pm PT. This is quite a matchup given that it’s for fifth place in the tournament.
This is the fourth time UCLA has played the Zags in the past four seasons. Gonzaga has won the last three games between these teams including their last meeting in the Sweet Sixteen in Las Vegas in March. So, the Bruins will be looking to put an end to that streak tonight.
Like UCLA, the Zags lost their opening game of the Maui Invitational on Monday when they lost to #2 Purdue, 73-63. Then, yesterday, they beat the Syracuse Orange, 76-57, to advance to tonight’s game.
The story of the tournament for the Bruins has been Sebastian Mack. Mack, a 6-foot-3 guard from Chicago, has averaged 20.5 points in the team’s two games. Mack scored 25 points against Marquette on Monday. He was perfect from the free throw line, making all 13 shots he took from the charity stripe. Yesterday afternoon against Chaminade, he finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists in addition to leading the Bruins in steals with five. Over both games, Mack has shot 43% from the field and almost 85% at the free throw line.
Let’s look at the starting lineup for the Zags.
Starting Five
Look for Mark Few to start a lineup with three guards and two forwards tonight.
Four of Few’s starters are averaging in double figures. Junior transfer Ryan Nembhard is the playmaker for the Zags. Not only is he averaging 11.0 ppg, but he’s also the team leader in assists with an average of 5.75 per game. He is also an excellent defender and has six steals already this season. Nembhard joined the Zags this year after transferring from Creighton.
Junior Nolan Hickman is Gonzaga’s highest scoring guard. He’s averaging 14.3 ppg. The team’s third starting guard will be freshman Dusty Stromer. He played his high school ball at Notre Dame in the Valley. He hasn’t quite found his stride yet. His 5.5 ppg average makes him the only starter not averaging in double figures.
Junior Graham Ike is another transfer who joins Gonzaga this year. Ike played his first two seasons at Wyoming. He has made an immediate impact, leading the team in both scoring, with an average of 16.5 ppg, and rebounds, with an average of 8.8 rpg. He’s also dangerous from long range. He’s third on the team in three-point shooting percentage with 44.4%.
Grad student Anton Watson is playing in his fifth season for Gonzaga. He’s local to Spokane and even played his high school ball at Gonzaga Prep. He’s second behind Ike in rebounds with 8.3 per game and he’s second on the team in assists too with an average of 2.8 per game. His 12.8 ppg average makes him another starter averaging in double figures.
Analysis
The Bruins led for most of the game Monday night against Marquette but lost the game in the second half. Tonight will definitely be another tough one for Mick Cronin’s young team. While I like what I’ve seen so far, I just don’t think the Bruins are ready to beat a Top Ten team.
In fact, I’m not even sure this one will be close as Mark Few always seems to have his teams prepared for whatever Cronin throws at them. With tonight being a late game, it might be worth going to bed early if it gets out of hand.
Listen to the Game With TMB
Tonight’s game will be on ESPN2 with Kanoa Leahey and Bill Walton calling the game. If you prefer, you can listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray. Just be sure to right-click on it so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to today’s game online.
This is your UCLA men’s basketball vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs game thread. Here’s how to watch, listen and stream tonight’s game:
#24 UCLA Basketball (4-1)
Opponent: #11/10 Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-1)
Series Record: Gonzaga leads, 6-2.
When: 7:00 pm PT, Monday, November 22, 2023
Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, HI
TV: ESPN2 with Kanoa Leahey, Bill Walton and Angel Gray
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Good evening and happy Thanksgiving, Mighty Bruins. This will be certainly too late for me, I hope you are comfortable and with loved ones, See ya! Go Bruins!
Thank you, Tamara! My son Dan is here an my daughter Jess has a pair of pies on the table ready for baking. I expect they will orchestrate tomorrow's cook. Fine by me. Happy thanksgiving, go Bruins!
Mara is really bad so far. Nwuba is better. That was not a foul on Adem though… that was garbage. The refs are going to want Gonzaga to win this game so ucla are playing against 8 tonight unfortunately
I honestly don’t understand why the refs are consistently against the bruins. That was a foul on the zags when nwuba went up for the dunk and no whistle as usual
Mick is on the same page that I am and is livid with the bs… ucla has a deeper bench and as long as they start make up calls, it could be better for ucla
UCLA gotta find some three attempts… I know it wasn’t in the game plan, but the refs decided that they were gonna decide what style of game this was early… I just don’t know who they go to unfortunately
U! Clap clap clap
C clap clap clap!
L! Clap Clap Clap!
U C L A fight fight fight!
A! Clap! Clap! Clop!
I just went to the Heat game to watch Jaime Jaquez Jr. He had the best game of his short career
Thanks, Ry, I'll check it out, happy Thanksgiving!
Happy thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving Ry! 💙💛
He did well in the usual but had too many turnovers. That means he's fully engaged.
Good evening and happy Thanksgiving, Mighty Bruins. This will be certainly too late for me, I hope you are comfortable and with loved ones, See ya! Go Bruins!
You are so sweet Jim! Wishing you and your loved ones beautiful and happy Thanksgiving 💙💛 Go Bruins! 💙💛
Thank you, Tamara! My son Dan is here an my daughter Jess has a pair of pies on the table ready for baking. I expect they will orchestrate tomorrow's cook. Fine by me. Happy thanksgiving, go Bruins!
Sounds wonderful!!! 💙💛
Happy Thanksgiving to my wonderful Bruin Family! Love you all and wishing you a restful and peaceful gathering with your family and friends 💙💛
Go Bruins! 💙💛 Let's beat the Zags!
Jim and Tamara Happy Thanksgiving to you both. I enjoy our interaction very much. Have a blessed day so much to be thankful for.
You too sweet Terry! Have a beautiful and joyous day! 💙💛
Thank you and happy Thanksgiving, Terry!
FYI - the date and time in this article are incorrect. The game is this evening at 9pm PST.
Midnight, my time. :(
11:00 for me.
Give us your boost, Terry. We owe the Zags, a few.
It is our time.
Thanks, Joe, our bigs are raw, but I haven't seen a team leader emerge yet.
Here we go Bruins!,
Is that not the looosing team? Is this not the Wiining team? Go Bruins!
Mara is really bad so far. Nwuba is better. That was not a foul on Adem though… that was garbage. The refs are going to want Gonzaga to win this game so ucla are playing against 8 tonight unfortunately
The horrendous officiating in Hawaii continues
Yep. We get clobbered no call. We hold our hands straight up they jump into hands fouls on us.
Zags getting every call and ucla getting screwed what’s new
What else is new?
I honestly don’t understand why the refs are consistently against the bruins. That was a foul on the zags when nwuba went up for the dunk and no whistle as usual
C'mpn Bruins! Who's gonna be the guy?
Berke hitting that is good sign.
How is that a f’ing foul! Call it fair refs jezus
Bear -K for three1 I hope I get to learn his name!
We are not rebounding.
Getting ball to Bona. That is a good thing.
Nice push Bona for the Zag foul!
I guess we can’t play defense against a shot.
Refs making sure that Mick has to use his bench tonight.
Good evening and happy Thanksgiving, Army, do we expect the Big 10 refs to be better?
We are not defending cut to basket.
We are shooting 20%
We are not a grown up team.
Nope
This is absurd! The refs ruined this game from the get go and continue to screw ucla… not sure how you win a game 5 on 8
UCLA can’t buy a foul against these losers
Our offensive movement and passing is not good.
We are playing as bad as we can and only down by 11
Mick is on the same page that I am and is livid with the bs… ucla has a deeper bench and as long as they start make up calls, it could be better for ucla
Fouls are 9 each team.
We really can’t shoot. 17%
Bill, diversity doesn't work, talent does.
Can’t dribble either.
That’s the only way Mack can finish at the hole.
I’m sorry to be so down but as bad as we are playing should be down by 20
Sebastian!
Five point swing there. Could have cut it to four, instead down by nine.
Had same thought.
UCLA gotta find some three attempts… I know it wasn’t in the game plan, but the refs decided that they were gonna decide what style of game this was early… I just don’t know who they go to unfortunately
Andrews does have a nice mid range jumper.
I’ve watched a number of these tournament games and the officiating has been consistently inconsistent and poor.
Yep
What in the absolute f$&?! Is that call
Refs again!
Boxing out is a foul. Interesting.
They have missed 8 of 15 free throws.
Bona and Berke have been on the bench most of the half and we are only down by 5. AMAZING
Nwuba is a tough player and needs more minutes imo… he’s far better than Mara at this point and needs to be on the court
Down only 4 after a bad start.
Ok we are in this. Go Bruins. We have done much better stopping the cut to the basket they were scoring on the first 0 minutes.
Being down only 4 is a win.