The No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs survived in opposition to the No. 8 seed Memphis Tigers on Saturday evening in a spherical of 32 recreation that had Ultimate 4 depth. Memphis had been one of many hottest groups in faculty basketball since a lineup change close to the tip of January, they usually pushed the Zags to their absolute restrict. Gonzaga survived, 82-78, to advance to no less than the Candy 16 for the seventh straight 12 months.
Memphis took a 10-point lead into halftime, however star heart Drew Timme wakened within the second half and carried Gonzaga to victory. Timme scored 21 of his 25 factors after halftime, wrecking havoc on Memphis’ inside protection by getting their prime gamers into foul bother after which hitting a sequence of unimaginable hook photographs and floaters within the paint.
Timme was interviewed by CBS after the sport and was requested what he mentioned throughout halftime with the Zags down double-figures. His response was a hilarious instance of self-censorship.
“I mentioned I don’t give a flying F what occurs on the finish of the sport,” Timme mentioned when requested about his halftime speech. “Whether or not we lose or win, we’re not going out as no … uhh … gentle guys. Go away all of it out on the ground as a result of it may very well be your final 20. Should you go all out and we nonetheless lose, play with no regrets. We took that to coronary heart. We got here out with the win happily.”
Yeah, we’re certain he mentioned “flying F” within the locker room. Going to exit on a limb and guess he used a phrase that wasn’t “gentle guys” throughout that speech, too. However truthfully, credit score to Timme for with the ability to give you household pleasant language with the entire nation watching on nationwide tv.
Timme was on the forefront of Gonzaga’s run to the nationwide title recreation final 12 months, and he desires nothing greater than to redeem this system after the loss to Baylor that ended its (undefeated) season.
Timme has been one of many greatest stars on an extremely profitable program the final two seasons. He’s Gonzaga’s emotional chief off the court docket, too. Whereas Timme is all the time taunting and celebrating on the ground, we now know he’s capable of clear himself up off of it at a second’s discover.
