DENVER — Drew Timme extended his one-of-a-kind college career by at least one more game, finishing with 28 points and eight rebounds Sunday to help third-seeded Gonzaga make its eighth straight Sweet 16 with a come-from-behind 84-81 win over TCU.
Timme made his first 3-pointer since December — and only his third of the season — as part of a 13-1 run that helped the Zags (30-5) take a seven-point lead with just under nine minutes left after trailing most of the night.
After TCU pulled within three late, Timme made a twisting shot in the lane with a defender draped all over him to trigger a 4-0 mini-run that put the game out of reach.
Next stop for the 6-foot-10 senior and his social media-friendly mustache — Las Vegas for the West Region semifinals and a meeting with UCLA on Thursday. It will be a rematch of their Final Four game two years ago, when Jalen Suggs banked one in from the half-court logo at the buzzer for the win.
Mike Miles Jr. finished with 24 points and four assists in his second straight electric game for the sixth-seeded Horned Frogs (22-13), who were trying to win two games in the same tournament for the first time in program history.
Damion Baugh finished with 15 points for TCU, none more consequential than a not-so-meaningless 3 he hit at the buzzer to help the Horned Frogs cover the 4.5-point spread listed on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Small consolation for TCU, though for 30 minutes-plus, the Frogs looked like very much like one of the 16 best teams in the country. They came at the Bulldogs in waves, trying to stop Timme with every big man on the roster.
But while the Gonzaga big man worked for every one of his twisting, turning, head-faking 12 baskets, TCU’s bigs were all in foul trouble as the game wound down and Timme took over.
SWEET 16 ANNIVERSARY
The meeting Thursday with UCLA in Vegas will fall on the 16th anniversary of their classic Sweet 16 game, won 73-71 by the Bruins. Over the final, frenetic 40 seconds, UCLA made two steals, scored the last five points and left Zags star Adam Morrison nearly crying on the court.
