SPOKANE, Wash. — Matt Bouldin said it had been nearly a year since Gonzaga lost three games in a row, and the Zags didn’t want to end 2007 on such a low note.
Bouldin scored a career high 26 points, including 20 in the second half, as Gonzaga outlasted Utah 61-59 on New Year’s Eve to snap a two-game losing streak that dropped the Bulldogs from the Top 25.
“It had been a long time since we lost three in a row,” Bouldin said, referring to a four-game losing streak last December.
Bouldin made 8 of 11 shots, including 6-of-8 3-pointers, for Gonzaga (10-4).
“The guys did a good job of finding the open look,” Bouldin said. “That felt good.”
Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, the World Series MVP, attended the game and spoke to the Zags in the locker room afterwards.
“That made it an unbelievable night,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.
Tyler Kepkay scored 16 points to lead Utah (8-4), which stayed close by making a season high 12 of 27 3-pointers, but shot just 40 percent in the game, compared to 44 percent from 3-point range.
Shaun Green and Luke Nevill added 15 each for the Utes, who came into the game as the nation’s fourth-best shooting team at 51 percent.
“They definitely weren’t the best defensive team we played the whole year,” Keykay said. “We got the shots we wanted.”
After leading by one at halftime, the Zags scored the first 10 points of the second half — seven by Bouldin — for a 36-25 lead. Bouldin hit a pair of 3-pointers during a 12-3 Gonzaga run for a 50-38 lead with seven minutes left.
The Utes kept scoring, but Bouldin made two more 3-pointers to maintain a 56-45 lead.
Nevill scored three straight layups to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 56-51 with 2:07 left.
After Jeremy Pargo scored for the Zags, Curtis Eatmon’s long 3-pointer brought the Utes to within 58-54 with 1:03 left.
After a Bouldin free throw, Nevill sank a long jumper to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 59-56 with 10.3 seconds left.
Utah fouled on the inbound play and Josh Heytvelt sank both free throws for a 61-56 lead with 8.8 seconds left. Eatmon’s 3-pointer at the buzzer was not enough for Utah.
Despite horrendous shooting, the Utes led most of the first half until Gonzaga’s Pargo tied the score at 19 with 3:36 left. The teams swapped baskets until Pargo’s 3-pointer lifted Gonzaga to a 26-25 halftime lead.
Heytvelt scored 14 points in the first half for the Zags, topping his season high, and finished with 16. The Zags shot 50 percent in the game.
Gonzaga assistant coach Ray Giacoletti was head coach at Utah for three years until he was dismissed after last season. He recruited most of the players on the Utes’ squad.
“We won this one for coach Giac,” Bouldin said.
Few said it was good to get a win after losses to Oklahoma and Tennessee.
“Matt had huge back-to-back games,” Few said, referring to the 21 points Bouldin scored against Tennessee.
Heytvelt also had his first solid game since coming back from ankle surgery, scoring 12 of Gonzaga’s first 16 points.
“He really allowed us to get our legs under us,” Few said.
GONZAGA 61, UTAH 59
UTAH (8-4)
Green 5-10 0-0 15, Nevill 7-14 1-4 15, Borha 0-2 0-0 0, Brown 0-3 0-0 0, Kepkay 5-10 2-2 16, Bryant 4-8 0-0 11, Drca 1-4 0-0 2, Weigh 0-3 0-0 0, Grim 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 3-6 59.
GONZAGA (10-4)
Gurganious 0-1 1-2 1, Sacre 0-1 0-0 0, Pargo 3-6 0-0 7, Bouldin 8-11 4-6 26, Pendergraft 1-4 1-1 3, Daye 0-0 0-0 0, Downs 2-4 0-0 4, Kuso 1-2 0-0 2, Gray 1-3 0-0 2, Heytvelt 6-12 4-4 16. Totals 22-44 10-13 61.
Halftime—Gonzaga 26-25. 3-Point Goals—Utah 12-27 (Green 5-9, Kepkay 4-8, Bryant 3-6, Weigh 0-2, Drca 0-2), Gonzaga 7-18 (Bouldin 6-8, Pargo 1-2, Gray 0-1, Downs 0-1, Pendergraft 0-2, Heytvelt 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Utah 26 (Nevill 8), Gonzaga 31 (Bouldin, Heytvelt 6). Assists—Utah 15 (Drca 6), Gonzaga 13 (Pargo 8). Total Fouls—Utah 16, Gonzaga 10. A—6,000.
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