• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Gonzaga rebounds from first loss with easy win

Dec 19, 2008 - 7:46 AM SPOKANE, Washington (Ticker) -- Josh Heytvelt scored 21 points and seventh-ranked Gonzaga easily rebounded from its first loss with an 84-42 victory over Texas Southern on Thursday.

Heytvelt scored only six points in a 69-64 loss to Arizona on Sunday, but had a much easier time against Texas Southern.

The junior had 15 points at the half and the Bulldogs shot 64 percent (21-of-33) from the field to build a 53-19 lead.

"I thought our guys did a great job dealing with coming off their first loss," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "They came out and did what they needed to do. We got going with our defense and our rebounding, we got those things squared away."

Micah Downs added 14 points for the Bulldogs (8-1), who were playing their first home game since November 18.

Damian Henderson and Deandre Hall scored nine points for Texas Southern (0-10), which has yet to play a home game this season.

The Tigers scored the first basket of the game and that was pretty much the high point of their evening. Gonzaga went on a 20-2 run and poured it on for the rest of the half.

The Bulldogs were 9-of-11 from the arc in the opening 20 minutes while the Tigers shot just 8-of-26 (31 percent) from the field.

"It was really important," Few said of the fast start. "It started with our defense and it really helped us."

Micah Downs and Matt Bouldin each made three 3-pointers in the first half for Gonzaga, which finished 11-of-17 from the arc. Downs finished with 14 points while Bouldin scored all 11 of his in the first half.