And with that, the dream is over.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs limped their way to the finish, but Northwestern could not overcome an 18-point first half deficit, falling 79-73. In the end, Gonzaga’s first-half defensive dominance gave the No. 1 seed just enough points to hold on despite a brilliant second-half run for Northwestern.
Vic Law’s 18 points and four threes were simply not enough. McIntosh scored 20, but he also had five turnovers and was 7-of-20 from the field. Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss played well, but it was backup center Zach Collins’ 14 bench points and stifling defense that was the difference.