#6 Duke vs #22 Gonzaga

[District303aPastPlayer]

Tonight (thursday) night...

Men's Basketball Game Facts
Game No. 13 - Duke
Thurs., Dec. 21 - 6 p.m. PST
Aeropostale Classic
Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
Radio: News Talk 1510 KGA (Spokane); 1340 KCTR (Tri-Cities); 980 KUSA (Yakima)
Pre-game show 30 minutes prior to tipoff
TV: ESPN2

No. 22/24 GONZAGA UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS (9-3; 0-0 West Coast)
G - 2 Jeremy Pargo, 6-2, 219, So., Chicago, IL
(11.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.1 assists, 1.0 steals)
G - 5 Derek Raivio, 6-3, 177, Sr., Vancouver, WA
(20.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals)
G - 15 Matt Bouldin, 6-4, 215, Fr., Highlands Ranch, CO
(8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals)
F - 42 Josh Heytvelt, 6-11, 238, So., Clarkston, WA
(16.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals, 1.3 blocks)
F - 25 David Pendergraft, 6-6, 223, Jr., Brewster, WA
(5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.6 assists, 0.4 steals)
HEAD COACH: Mark Few (University of Oregon, 1987)
GONZAGA RECORD: 197-44 (8th year - 18th at GU) CAREER RECORD: Same

No. 6/6 DUKE UNIVERSITY BLUE DEVILS (9-1; 0-0 ACC)
G - 3 Greg Paulus, 6-1, 180, So., Syracuse, NY
(5.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals)
G - 21 DeMarcus Nelson, 6-4, 200, Jr., Elk Grove, CA
(14.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks)
G - 30 Jon Scheyer, 6-5, 180, Fr., Northbrook, IL
(10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks)
F - 2 Josh McRoberts, 6-10, 240, So., Carmel, IN
(11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.1 blocks)
F - 42 Lance Thomas, 6-8, 215, Fr., Scotch Plains, NJ
(6.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.9 steals)
HEAD COACH: Mike Krzyzewski (Army, 1969)
DUKE RECORD: 689-192 (27th year) CAREER RECORD: 762-251 (32nd year)
GAMES PRIOR TO GONZAGA: 12/19 vs. Kent State.

[District303aPastPlayer]

The stage is set for THE game, but some think it's coming a year too late. Granted, a Gonzaga University team with Adam Morrison facing a Duke University team with J.J. Redick would have been a collegiate basketball lover's dream. After all, the two staged one of the classic battles for the scoring title a year ago and the two icons hadn't swept a collegiate basketball nation since Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in 1979. But Thursday's game at Madison Square Garden will still take center stage. The Bulldogs are ranked 22nd by Associated Press and 24th by USA Today/ESPN, and the Blue Devils sixth in both polls. ESPN is also sending its main collegiate basketball crew - Dan Shulman calling the action, Dick Vitale providing the color commentary and Doris Burke on the sidelines. The game is the second half of a Madison Square Garden double-header being sponsored by Aeropostale with Virginia Tech facing Seton Hall in the 3 p.m. PST opener. Gonzaga and Duke are scheduled to tip at 6 p.m. PST.

Gonzaga University has had remarkable success against the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Bulldogs 8-1 all time against ACC competition following an 82-74 win over then second-ranked University of North Carolina on Nov. 24 in the semifinals of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip Off at Madison Square Garden. Gonzaga's game Thursday with Duke University will be the second of three games against ACC foes this season, the Bulldogs with a Jan. 3 date at the University of Virginia. Virginia came to Spokane last year to meet the Bulldogs in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga has played the University of Maryland more than any other ACC team, losing to the Terrapins in the 1995 NCAA first round in Salt Lake City, Utah - Gonzaga's inaugural trip to the NCAA Tournament - and then defeating the Terps at their BB&T Classic at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 6, 2003, and then winning last season at the EA Sports Maui Invitational. Gonzaga has won all eight meetings against ACC foes since that 1995 setback.

Gonzaga University enters Thursday's game coming off a 96-83 loss to the University of Georgia last Saturday in the Chick-fil-A Classic for Kids at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. The Bulldogs had a season-high 21 turnovers that led to 30 Georgia points in the setback, and Georgia also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds that led to 22 second-chance points. The Zags had two games of 20-plus turnovers a year ago, committing 25 in a 79-70 win at Loyola Marymount University and 20 in an 84-75 victory at the University of San Francisco.

After going the first 10 games of the season without being out rebounded - the University of North Carolina got a stalemate with 42 rebounds - Gonzaga University has now been out rebounded in its last two games. The University of Washington held a 41-39 edge in Gonzaga's 97-77 win and the University of Georgia won the battle of the boards 34-28 last Saturday. Gonzaga holds a +5.8 rebounding margin this season.

Gonzaga University extended its home winning streak to 45 games Dec. 9 with a 97-77 win over the University of Washington. That streak is the longest current streak in the NCAA Division I ranks. The Bulldogs are 33-0 in the 3-year-old McCarthey Athletic Center and won their final 12 home games next door in The Kennel. Since beginning the streak Feb. 22, 2003, with a 69-60 win over Tulsa University, the Bulldogs have also played - and won - six games at the downtown Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. That gives the Bulldogs a 51-game winning streak in the city of Spokane. The last time the Bulldogs lost in Spokane was Feb. 19, 2003, to the University of Portland 72-68 in The Kennel.

[District303aPastPlayer]

Gonzaga University will try to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since the 2002-03 season when they take the court Thursday against Duke University. The Bulldogs lost to Stanford University 81-71 at the Pete Newell Challenge in Oakland, Calif., on Dec. 22, 2002, then fell at home 79-78 in overtime to Saint Joseph's University on Dec. 31, 2002.

Derek Raivio became the 29th member of Gonzaga University's 1,000-point club earlier this season and now has 1,086 career points to rank 23rd. Jack Curran (1947-50) is 22nd with 1,121 and Dan Dickau (2001-02) is 21st with 1,125. The senior from Vancouver, Wash., is averaging 10.3 ppg in his career.

The Dec. 9 game against the University of Washington in the McCarthey Athletic Center was Gonzaga University's lone home game in the month of December. The Bulldogs won't return home until Jan. 6 when they open West Coast Conference play against Loyola Marymount University. Following Thursday's game Gonzaga will conclude the month Dec. 30 in The Battle in Seattle against the University of Nevada, then head to the University of Virginia on Jan. 3.

Derek Raivio scored 19 points last Saturday against the University of Georgia, snapping his streak of eight straight 20-point games. He had never scored 20 points in back-to-back games until that stretch. He has nine 20-point games this season. Raivio's 198 career 3-pointers rank fifth and his 460 attempts are fifth. His 126 career steals are sixth and his 295 career assists are ninth.

Freshman Matt Bouldin made the best of his first career start Dec. 9 against the University of Washington, posting a season-high 21 points on a 9-for-12 night from the field in 31 minutes. He had gone just 3-for-23 from the field over the four previous games. He also dished out 5 assists and had just two turnovers against the Huskies. He was also in the starting lineup last Saturday against the University of Georgia, hitting 5-of-8 shots from the field on his way to 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. But he had an uncharacteristic 5 turnovers, the most in his young career. The native of Highlands Ranch, Colo., is second in assist-to-turnover ration at 1.52.

Jeremy Pargo has grabbed at least three rebounds in 11-of-12 games this season, including a season-high 6 against Rice University. He's also handed out at least five assists in five of the last six games - 5 against the University of Georgia, 6 versus the University of Idaho, the University of Texas and the University of Washington, and 7 against Portland State University. His "low" game in that stretch was 4 against Washington State University.

Derek Raivio has made 29 straight free throws since missing his final attempt against the University of North Carolina. He shares the school record of 41 straight with Geoff Goss. Raivio didn't get to the line for the first time this season last Saturday against the University of Georgia.

Look for Josh Heytvelt to become more active in the post on Thursday against Duke University. Heytvelt went 6-for-9 from the field in Gonzaga University's loss to the University of Georgia last Saturday, but five of his shots were from 3-point range. "Josh can shoot from out there, but we need more of a post presence from him," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said. "Sean Mallon was active in the post against Georgia, but for us to win we need a contribution from everybody down there."

Opponents are shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 29.2 percent from 3-point range this season, quite an improvement from the 43.2 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range of a year ago.

[eagles_victory]

i cant wait it is gonna be a heck of a game

[District303aPastPlayer]

would you believe i have to work during this game :(

[District303aPastPlayer]

wait, isnt 6pm PST 8pm here in texas?

[eagles_victory]

it starts at 8 here

[District303aPastPlayer]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
it starts at 8 here

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. I'll be at Hooters watching...

[GOFOR2]

Gonzaga takes this one. I would lean towards Duke if they were playing at home, but they are playing in MSG, a site that Gonzaga has already played at twice this year. Duke was almost upset last night, at home, by Western Michigan.

[CalallenWildcat]

Go Gonzaga.