Nothing in sports can compare to the magic, intensity and spectacle of March Madness, but on Saturday night, UConn and Gonzaga treated college basketball fans to the next best thing.
In front of a sold-out crowd at the basketball cathedral that is Madison Square Garden, the Zags and Huskies engaged in a back-and-forth duel that could only be described as basketball theater.
Both teams took turns going on runs, burying big shots and throwing haymakers. In the end, UConn won the chess match 77-71. The Huskies pulled away late thanks to multiple clutch buckets and 26 points from true freshman Liam McNeeley, while Khalif Battle led the Zags with 21 points in their losing effort.