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Gonzaga hoping to end difficult stretch

Dec 23, 2008 - 11:10 AM Portland State (8-3) at No. 7 Gonzaga (8-2) 8:00 p.m. EST

SPOKANE, Washington (Ticker) -- After a stellar start, Gonzaga has hit a rough patch.

The seventh-ranked Bulldogs look to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss on Tuesday when they host Portland State.

Gonzaga stormed out of the gate, winning each of its first seven games en route to a top-five ranking.

The undefeated run came to a crashing halt December 14, when the then-No. 4 Bulldogs dropped a 69-64 decision to Arizona, which is reeling in the wake of longtime coach Lute Olsen's sudden retirement at the beginning of the campaign.

After rebounding with a 42-point drubbing of Texas Southern on Thursday, Gonzaga dropped an 88-83 overtime decision to No. 2 Connecticut on Saturday.

Jeremy Pargo had 16 points and Josh Heytvelt added 15 for Gonzaga, but the duo managed to combine for just six points in overtime.

A.J. Price led Connecticut with 24 points, including a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation that knotted the contest at 74-74.

Jerome Dyson later added another big basket from long range, giving Connecticut an insurmountable 84-77 lead with 1:39 left in overtime.

Portland State rebounded from two straight losses with a 72-45 victory over Montana on Saturday.

Phil Nelson had 16 points and Julius Thomas added 14 and tied a career-high with 10 rebounds for the Vikings, who have won 14 straight home games against Big Sky Conference opponents.