What Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard, Anton Watson said after loss to Purdue in Sweet 16

Anton Watson played his final game for his hometown team

DETROIT - The fifth-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs had their season come to an end in an 80-68 loss to the first-seed Purdue Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday.

The Zags (27-8) kept pace with Zach Edey and co. for much of the first half before the 7-foot-4 All-American took over down the stretch, guiding his team to the Elite Eight for the third time since 2000 in a 27-point, 14-rebound performance.

"It's just tough. He creates so much attention down there," said Ryan Nembhard. "You kind of have to pull in when the guards get downhill a little bit because they're going to throw lobs or kick out and hit a three. So it's a pick your poison thing."

Here's more of what Nembhard and Anton Watson had to say following Gonzaga's season-ending loss:

Watson on playing his final game at Gonzaga:

"I'm just super grateful, super thankful. Yeah, it's surreal. I haven't really had time to let it set in. But I enjoyed the season with my coaches, my teammates, just all the fans, just all the love I've gotten this year. It's been super special to me, and I know my family, they appreciate it too."

Watson on the gameplan for Edey:

"I think we were just trying to space him out, whoever he was on, try to give him ball screens. Yeah, just try to make him move as much as possible on the defensive end and get him away from the hoop."

"I think we did a good job of that first half. Second half, getting to the open sides and getting to the floaters. But, yeah, I think we were trying to do that."

Nembhard on Purdue's 16-2 scoring run in the second half:

"It's tough. During that stretch, I felt like we had some bunnies around the rim that we missed that just didn't go our way. Then they got in transition, made on threes and gave it to the big fella, got some easy buckets down there. It's definitely hard. They're a good team."

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