Arizona Gets Assist From Fans in Win Over Oregon St.

Arizona remained tied with USC atop the Pacific 10 Conference after Saturday’s 67-52 win over Oregon State, and Wildcat Coach Lute Olson said he knows why.

A sellout crowd of 13,316 at McKale Center watched Eddie Smith score a game-high 18 points and pull down 11 rebounds as Arizona shot 66% from the field, including 75% in the second half.

“This is the best crowd I’ve ever been associated with in terms of everybody doing whatever they could do to help us win,” Olson said. “It was just a great, great day for Arizona basketball.”

It was not one for Oregon State, which shot 38% from the floor in the first half and finished at 51%.

“We missed shots and had a lot of turnovers. By the second half, we were far down,” Beaver Coach Ralph Miller said. “We didn’t put points on the board and we couldn’t stop them. They ripped us.”

The win improved Arizona’s Pac-10 record to 11-4, the same as USC, which routed Cal, 75-52, Saturday night.

It also marked the first 20-win season for the Wildcats (20-7) in eight years.

Oregon State, the defending conference champion, dropped to 19-6 overall and 9-5 in the league.

Arizona opened up an early 7-0 lead and stretched it to 29-16 at halftime behind Smith’s 10 points. In the second half, the Wildcats were up by 25 at 61-36 on Pete Williams’ slam dunk with 5:14 remaining.

Darryl Flowers scored two baskets to cut the Beavers’ deficit to 13 points at 65-52 with 11 seconds left, but the Beavers got no closer.

A.C. Green was held to 14 points--six in the second half--and six rebounds. The senior forward and 1984 Pac-10 Player of the Year leads Oregon State in scoring (19.8 points) and rebounding (9.9).

Flowers, held scoreless in the first half, and Eric Knox finished with 12 points apiece for the Beavers.

Arizona got 16 points from Williams, 10 coming in the second half. Morgan Taylor had 12 points and Brock Brunkhorst added 12 assists for the Wildcats.