Knoxville, TN (Best E Casino) - Matt Bouldin scored 26 points, as Gonzaga dominated overtime to record an 89-79 win over 15th-ranked Tennessee, snapping the Volunteers' 37-game home winning streak.
Wednesday's matchup was the second meeting between the schools this season, as Gonzaga also beat Tennessee, 83-74, in the title game of the Old Spice Classic on November 30th.
As for the Vols' home winning streak, the 37 games are a school record and it had been the second-longest active streak in the nation -- second only to Notre Dame's 44.
Austin Daye finished with 20 points and eight rebounds for Gonzaga (9-4), which snapped a three-game losing streak. Josh Heytvelt added 15 points and 12 boards in the win for the Bulldogs.
Cameron Tatum had 22 points to pace Tennessee (9-4), which has lost two in a row. Tyler Smith added 17 points for the Vols before appearing to suffer a left knee injury late in overtime. Wayne Chism had a career-high 19 boards and 15 points in the loss.
Daye had two free throws less than 30 seconds into overtime, and after the Vols missed several putback opportunities, a Bouldin layup put the Zags up by four.
Following another Tennessee miss, Daye drained a three for an 80-73 lead with under three minutes to play. The Vols responded with a Smith jumper, but on the other end Heytvelt got a basket to fall.
The Vols' Bobby Maze and the Zags' Steven Gray each made a pair of free throws, the latter giving Gonzaga a seven-point edge. After Maze missed a three, Gray made two more from the line for an 86-77 lead, and Gonzaga held on for the win from there.
The game went to overtime following a tight finish. With under 2 1/2 minutes remaining, a Bouldin jumper broke a 68-68 deadlock. But Tennessee responded, as a double-teamed Chism fed the ball in the lane for Smith, whose layup curled in as he was fouled with 1:48 on the clock.
He made the free throw to put the Vols in front, 71-70. On the other end, Heytvelt was wide open for an easy lay-in, and after Maze airballed a long three, Heytvelt went to the line. He made just one for a 73-71 Zags lead with 1:08 on the clock.
After the clock rolled under a minute, the rebound off a Gonzaga miss was poked out of bounds. The baseline official ruled it a Tennessee possession, but another overruled, giving Gonzaga the ball. However, the ensuing Zags inbounds to the near corner went out of bounds, handing the Vols another possession with 38.0 ticks left.
Following a timeout, Tennessee evened the game when Smith drove into the lane and tossed up a leaning underhand shot with 25.5 seconds on the clock, and the ball fell through to knot the game at 73-73.
Gonzaga held for the last shot, a bank attempt that was off the mark, and the clock ran out. Gonzaga coach Mark Few protested, arguing that it should have been a goaltending call, as a Tennessee player's hand went up through the rim on the attempt, despite not touching the ball. However, no extra basket was awarded, and the contest went to overtime.
Tennessee built up a double-digit lead in the first half, going ahead 23-12 on a Chism layup almost midway through the period. The Vols continued to lead, though Gonzaga trimmed its deficit to 40-33 at the intermission.
The Zags trailed at the outset of the second half, but a six-point burst, capped by a Gray triple, put Gonzaga in front by a 50-49 score. Daye followed with a jumper, and the Zags led down the stretch until Chism and Smith made back-to-back baskets. They put Tennessee in front, 67-66, with under seven minutes left, and the game was close down the stretch.
Game Notes
The Vols fell to 5-1 at home this season...Gonzaga shot 52.5 percent overall, and 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from three-point range...Tennessee made just 36.3 percent of their shots, and only 21.4 percent (6-of-28) from beyond the arc...Gonzaga leads the all-time series, 2-1.
