BOISE, ID - UNC Greensboro gave Gonzaga all it could handle, but fell short 68-64 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday afternoon.
The No. 13 seed Spartans led 64-62 with under two minutes to play, but couldn't ward off the Bulldogs, who reached the national championship game last season.
UNCG fans still love their team, because they fought so hard.
"They never stop. They never stop. They just kept going, they kept believing in themselves, and as you can see it is paying off," said Brittany, a Senior at UNCG.
Several other fans echoes that thought.
"They guys have been working really hard, last year we made it to the SOCON final and lost. I think that probably left a bitter taste in their mouth," said Donegan Root, a UNCG Alum.
"They've got more heart than any team I think we've seen in a long time," said Mary Lesa Pegg, another UNCG Alum.
Zach Norvell Jr. hit a 3-pointer with 51 seconds left to put Gonzaga up for good 67-64. Marvin Smith got a good look at a possible game-tying 3 with 12 seconds left that went halfway down and out.
UNCG was playing in the tournament for the first time since 2001. Gonzaga led 32-23 at halftime after the Spartans missed the first 13 3-pointers they attempted.
Francis Alonso and Demetrius Troy each scored 16 points for the Spartans, who finished the season 27-8 and Southern Conference champions.
Kuiper got a putback basket to put the Spartans up 64-62 with 1:46 left to force a Gonzaga timeout. The Bulldogs tied the game on a Josh Perkins jumper with 51 seconds left and the Spartans followed with an empty possession before Norvell's big 3.
Gonzaga, a No. 4 seed, advances to play the winner of Ohio State and South Dakota State.
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