SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Top-seeded Gonzaga fought off a wild Northwestern comeback for a 79-73 victory Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern trimmed a 22-point deficit to five and had the ball when Gonzaga's Zach Collins reached up through the basket to reject Dererk Pardon's shot with 4:54 left.
Nigel Williams-Goss made both free throws, and eighth-seeded Northwestern (24-12) — in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history — never got closer.
A few minutes after the game, the NCAA released a statement saying goal-tending should have been called, and that Collins had violated "bench decorum" rules by running onto the court to argue the call while the ball was in play.
Williams-Goss led the Zags (34-1) with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Collins and Jordan Mathews had 14 points each.
Bryant McIntosh, who hit the go-ahead free throws in Northwestern's opening-round win, had 20 for the Wildcats and Vic Law had 18.
Northwestern NCAA Tournament Notes vs. Gonzaga
March 18, 2017
• This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Gonzaga.
• Gonzaga advances to take on fourth-seeded West Virginia in the Sweet 16 next Thursday in San Jose, California.
• Northwestern's 20 points in the first half represent a season low in the first half of a game this season. The previous low was 21 vs. Wisconsin March 11 in the Big Ten tournament.
• The Wildcats lost for the first time this year when scoring 70 points in a game. Northwestern was 15-1 this season when tallying at least 70 points.
• Junior guard Bryant McIntosh scored a team-high 20 points in the game. It was his 12th 20-point game of the season and the 19th of his career.
• McIntosh handed out 7 assists to raise his school career record to 551. His 188 assists this season are the second most by a Wildcat in school history, trailing on ly the 213 assists he handed out in 2015-16.
• After missing its first 10 3-point field goal attempts, Northwestern made 8 of its last 14 tries from beyond the arch.
• Northwestern concludes its season with a school-record 24 victories.
Northwestern NCAA Tournament Notes vs. Gonzaga
March 18, 2017
• This was the first meeting between Northwestern and Gonzaga.
• Gonzaga advances to take on fourth-seeded West Virginia in the Sweet 16 next Thursday in San Jose, California.
• Northwestern's 20 points in the first half represent a season low in the first half of a game this season. The previous low was 21 vs. Wisconsin March 11 in the Big Ten tournament.
• The Wildcats lost for the first time this year when scoring 70 points in a game. Northwestern was 15-1 this season when tallying at least 70 points.
• Junior guard Bryant McIntosh scored a team-high 20 points in the game. It was his 12th 20-point game of the season and the 19th of his career.
• McIntosh handed out 7 assists to raise his school career record to 551. His 188 assists this season are the second most by a Wildcat in school history, trailing on ly the 213 assists he handed out in 2015-16.
• After missing its first 10 3-point field goal attempts, Northwestern made 8 of its last 14 tries from beyond the arch.
• Northwestern concludes its season with a school-record 24 victories.