From the First Four to the Final Four
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The last two tickets to the Final Four were punched on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. A dream of a lifetime for many young athletes.
As expected, this year's NCAA Tournament came with madness and shock. At the forefront of that shock was the success of the Pac-12--the most underrated Power Five Conference in the nation.
After 40 minutes of play in Tuesday's night cap, the 11th seed UCLA Bruins out of the East Region, became the biggest shock of them all.
The Bruins came into the night with a huge force in front of them--the first-seeded Michigan Wolverines. But with the odds against them, the Mighty Bruins took control of their own destiny.
A journey from the First Four play-in game, all the way to the Final Four.
While Michigan had several chances to win in the final seconds, it was the UCLA defense that came up with the necessary stops to seal it. The 28 points from Johnny Juzang was just too much for Michigan to overcome, as well.
The win gives UCLA their first Final Four appearance since 2008 and the first team to get from the First Four to the Final Four since VCU did it in 2011.
As if the road could not get any tougher, the Bruins will now face their toughest test in the National Semi-final on Saturday. That team being the overall number one seed Gonzaga Bulldogs who enter the Final Four at a perfect 30-0 record.
Gonzaga took care of UCLA's Pac-12 rival, USC Trojans, in an 85-66 win on Tuesday.
The Bruins and Bulldogs are expected to tip-off around 5:30 pm MST, following the conclusion of the first game between Baylor and Houston, which is set to begin at 2:14 pm MST.
