UConn 76, Gonzaga 63: Live updates recap, highlights from 2023 Continental Tire Seattle Tip-Off

Huskies beat Bulldogs in top-10 clash

The No. 10 Gonzaga Bulldogs fell to No. 5 UConn, 76-63, in the 2023 Continental Tire Seattle Tipoff on Friday.

The Zags (8-3) trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half and never led at any point, as they shot 39.0% from the field and 2-for-12 from behind the arc. Anton Watson led the way with 20 points. Gonzaga had a season-low six assists.

The Huskies (10-1) were fueled by 21 points by 7-foot-3 post Donovan Clingan. UConn shot 7-of-17 from deep but misfired on all eight attempts from distance in the second half.

• HOW TO WATCH GONZAGA VS. UCONN

Here are the live updates recap:

SECOND HALF:

FINAL: 

UConn 72, Gonzaga 58 (3:26): Gonzaga crowd got to its feet after Hickman knocked down two free-throws to make it a 10 point game, though UConn responded with an alley-oop to Clingan. Newton picked Hickman's pocket on the next play, which resulted in a fastbreak score for Diarra.

UConn 66, Gonzaga 51 (6:31): Back-to-back buckets from Karaban put UConn ahead by 15, forcing a timeout from Mark Few.

UConn 61, Gonzaga 49 (7:52): Bulldogs slowly dug into their deficit as they held the Huskies off the scoreboard for a 3-minute stretch. Gonzaga went on a 5-0 scoring run, as Stromer knocked down a midrange jumper followed by a nifty layup from Hickman in traffic.

UConn 57, Gonzaga 44 (11:37): Bulldogs defense forced a handful of turnovers and held the Huskies without a field goal for nearly a 5-minute stretch. Hickman got his second basket of the night on a drive past Spencer for a layup.

UConn 56, Gonzaga 40 (14:52): Ike ended the scoring drought with an and-one putback over UConn's Solomon Ball. 

UConn 52, Gonzaga 36 (17:42): Huskies rattled off a 7-0 scoring run early in the second half to extend their largest lead of the night. Gonzaga missed two of its first three shot attempts. Clingan knocked down a pair of free-throws, followed by a timeout from the Bulldogs.

FIRST HALF:

walk em down @Nolanhickman2 🥱 pic.twitter.com/daqkZti3aj

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 16, 2023

HALFTIME: UConn 45, Gonzaga 34: Huskies led by double-digits at the break after shooting 63.0% from the field, including 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. Watson led with 13 points for the Bulldogs, who shot 48.3% from the floor and committed six turnovers to the Huskies' three. Spencer led UConn with 13 points.

UConn 42, Gonzaga 32 (0:57): Huskies opened up their largest lead of the night following a steal by Spencer on Hickman, which led to a score for Castle on the other end.

NEMBHARD. 🏀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/H1zNTKaF1M

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 16, 2023

UConn 37, Gonzaga 31 (3:01): Newton nailed a deep 3-pointer to put the Huskies up by eight with 4:33 left in the half. Ike emphatically blocked Newton on the way to the rim, leading to a fastbreak score for Nembhard. With 3:03 remaining, Nembhard got another score on Spencer, drawing a foul to create an 3-point play opportunity.

UConn 25, Gonzaga 22 (7:28): Watson kept Gonzaga within striking distance with a coast-to-coast drive and score over Clingan. The Spokane native scored 10 of Gonzaga's first 22 points.

UConn 20, Gonzaga 16 (10:16): The Bulldogs and Huskies traded blows midway through the half. Watson drilled the Bulldogs first 3-pointer of the night, but UConn responded with an alley-oop to Samson Johnson on the assist by Newton. After a Hickman layup, Hassan Diarra nailed a tough midrange jumper over Nembhard. 

UConn 11, Gonzaga 6 (15:22): The Huskies jumped out to an early advantage through Clingan, who scored eight of the team's first 11 points. Nembhard got Gonzaga going with a drive to the rim, followed by a few turnaround jumpers. 

Look: Gonzaga's Anton Watson plays 'Name That Teammate'