Bulldogs battle Utes in Salt Lake City

NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

12/31/2008 - Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 16th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs will try to get back on track tonight, as they close out 2008 with a non-conference bout against the Utah Runnin' Utes at the Huntsman Center.

The Bulldogs have been idle for over week now and the break couldn't have come at a better time. After starting off the season 7-0, Gonzaga has hit a bit of rough patch, dropping three of its last four outings, including two straight. Two of those setbacks came to elite programs in Arizona and UConn, but the team's most recent loss was a shocking one, as Gonzaga was upended by Portland State, 77-70, on its home floor on December 23rd. It was just the Bulldogs' third home loss since the McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, and it was also Portland State's first victory against a ranked foe since its basketball program was reinstated for the 1996-97 campaign.

As Utah, it wrapped up a short two-game road trip with a 60-52 triumph at UC Irvine on Saturday. The victory was the second in three games, as the team improved to 7-5 on the year. The Utes are now set to play three straight games at the Huntsman Center, where they have gone a modest 3-2 thus far.

Utah and Gonzaga met last New Year's Eve as well, with the Bulldogs notching a 61-59 victory in Spokane.

With four players averaging in double figures and the team shooting a solid 47.8 percent from the field, Gonzaga has been able to generate a hardy 77.7 ppg on the year. Josh Heytvelt currently tops the roster in scoring at 15.4 ppg and he is tied with Austin Daye for the team-lead in rebounding, with 6.1 rpg. Daye ranks second to Heytvelt with 12.9 ppg, while Matt Bouldin contributes 11.5 ppg and 4.0 rpg. Steven Gray has provided the team with a spark off the bench and he rounds out the double-digit scorers, with 10.1 ppg. In the team's prior outing, Bouldin tallied 18 points and registered four steals, but that wasn't enough for Gonzaga in a loss to Portland State. Heytvelt posted 13 points and eight boards, and Daye finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort. The Bulldogs were outscored from long distance, 36-21, and outrebounded, 39-30, in the defeat.

Much like Gonzaga, Utah has four players scoring in double figures and is shooting 47.8 percent from the floor, only it is netting a little less 71.7 ppg. Luke Nevill paces the team in both scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) and he is also making 61.4 percent of his attempts from the floor. Lawrence Borha is next in order at 10.8 ppg and he is trailed by Shaun Green and Tyler Kepkay, whom contribute 10.5 and 10.4 ppg, respectively, off the bench. On Saturday. Borha netted 18 points and Nevill notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds to power the Utes over UC Irvine. The Utes drained 41.5 percent of their field goal tries and limited UC Irvine to just a 35.7 percent shooting effort from the floor.

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