Pacific 10 Roundup : Arizona Wins Title as Cal Beats Huskies in Overtime

Washington saw its last chance for another Pacific 10 Conference basketball co-championship slip away Saturday.

California overcame a 19-point halftime deficit to upset the Huskies, 78-72, at Seattle and give the title to Arizona.

The Bears (19-9 overall, 11-7 in the Pac-10) tied the score on guard Kevin Johnson’s jumper with 18 seconds to go, then dominated the Huskies (19-11 overall, 13-5 in the conference) in overtime.

Arizona, which ends its Pac-10 season today at Arizona State, has a 14-3 conference record.

Washington, which tied for the Pac-10 title with USC last season, needed a win over Cal and an Arizona loss today to gain a share of the championship this season.

“We were beaten by a team that wanted it worse, I guess,” Washington Coach Andy Russo said. “We let them get on a roll, and then we couldn’t stop them.

“We couldn’t hit our free throws in the end, and that was the difference.”

It was the best season record for the Bears since they finished 28-2 in 1959-60.

“That’s the best comeback, I’ve ever been associated with in my 26 years of coaching at any level,” Cal Coach Lou Campanelli said. “Nineteen down in the second half and to come back, that’s Mission Impossible.

“At the half, I asked them to just chip away and chip and away. (Earnie) Sears and Johnson played their hearts out.”

Johnson scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, which began with the Bears down, 40-21. He grabbed the rebound on Paul Fortier’s missed free throw and went the length of the court to sink a bucket from the Cal free-throw line, tying the score, 64-64, at the end of regulation.

Washington State 69, Stanford 66--Joe Wallace scored 23 points, including three free throws in the final 28 seconds, and the Cougars finished their season by turning back the Cardinal at Pullman, Wash.

The Cougars (15-16, 8-10) rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit, outscoring Stanford, 14-1, in a six-minute span during the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half to climb back into the game.

Sophomore forward Greg Butler had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Stanford (14-16, 8-10).