National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Syracuse 63, Gonzaga 60
When: 9:40 PM ET, Friday, March 25, 2016
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Officials: # Keith Kimble, # Doug Sirmons, # Mike Stuart
Attendance: 21490

CHICAGO -- Guard Michael Gbinije scored 20 points and forward Tyler Lydon blocked a shot in the final seconds as Syracuse rallied for a 63-60 win over Gonzaga on Friday night in an NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal at the United Center.

Guard Trevor Cooney scored 15 points for 10th-seeded Syracuse (22-13), which advanced to play top-seeded Virginia on Sunday in the regional final.

The Orange erased a nine-point deficit in the final seven minutes to move within one win of their sixth appearance in the Final Four.

Forward Kyle Wiltjer led Gonzaga with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field. Forward Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 17 rebounds for 11th-seeded Gonzaga (28-8).

Syracuse grabbed a 61-60 lead with 22 seconds remaining after Gbinije followed his own missed shot and put back a layup.

Cooney attempted to steal a pass on Gonzaga's next possession, but officials determined that he stepped on the baseline. Lydon blocked a shot by Gonzaga's Josh Perkins with less than two seconds left and sealed the victory with two free throws.

Syracuse rallied from a nine-point deficit to pull within 59-58 with 2:18 to play. Cooney and Lydon made back-to-back layups to cap a 10-2 run.

Sabonis dominated in the low post as Gonzaga fought to preserve a second-half lead. The 6-foot-11 sophomore scored three straight baskets for the Bulldogs, including a layup to give Gonzaga a 57-48 lead with 6:30 remaining.

After a strong finish to the first half, Syracuse carried momentum into the second half to seize its first lead of the game.

Cooney made a layup to put Syracuse on top 30-29, and Gbinije added a layup and a jump shot to increase the lead to 34-29.

Gonzaga held on to a 29-28 halftime edge after leading by as many as 11 points during the first half. Syracuse finished the half with an 18-8 run and scored the final six points before the break.

The Bulldogs pulled ahead 21-10 after guard Josh Perkins drilled a 3-pointer with 10:16 remaining in the first half. Gbinije and forward Malachi Richardson led the comeback with two 3-pointers that sliced the deficit to 23-20 with 7:03 left in the half.

Hot shooting from beyond the arc helped Gonzaga to establish a 16-6 lead in the first five minutes. Wiltjer made three 3-pointers during the early run, which included a 3-pointer from senior guard Eric McClellan and a layup by Sabonis.

NOTES: Gonzaga appeared in its first NCAA Tournament game in Chicago. The Bulldogs have qualified for the tournament for 18 consecutive seasons and 19 seasons overall. ... Syracuse G Trevor Cooney became the 30th player in school history to score 1,400 career points. ... Gonzaga F Domantas Sabonis had 11 rebounds by halftime. Sabonis pulled down double-digit rebounds for the team-leading 25th time this season. ... Syracuse and Gonzaga were meeting for the second time with Syracuse prevailing 87-65 in 2010.
Top Game Performances
 
Gonzaga   Syracuse
Kyle Wiltjer 23 Scoring Michael Gbinije 20
Josh Perkins 6 Assists Michael Gbinije 3
Domantas Sabonis 17 Rebounds Tyler Roberson 12
Domantas Sabonis 3 Free Throws Made Trevor Cooney 4
Kyle Dranginis 1 Steals Trevor Cooney 2
Domantas Sabonis 5 Blocks Tyler Lydon 6
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Gonzaga 60 43.6 8-21 4-5 18 33 8 4 17
Syracuse 63 36.1 5-15 14-16 9 29 10 9 9