College Basketball Roundup : Arizona Routs Washington, Sets Record in Pac-10 Opener

Sean Elliott feels the Arizona Wildcats have put the Pacific 10 Conference, and the rest of the country, on notice.

Elliott scored 18 points in just 22 minutes as the second-ranked Wildcats won their Pac-10 opener by trouncing Washington, 110-71, Sunday at Seattle. It was the most points ever scored against the Huskies.

“We can play with anybody,” the 6-foot-9 junior forward said. “I think we’re really good and deserve what attention we’re getting.

“Pride has a lot to do with it. People rank on the Pac-10 and say the East Coast is the greatest. But we’re showing we play good basketball in the West, too. Look what we did to Syracuse and Michigan.”

Arizona (9-0) has beaten seventh-ranked Iowa and routed No. 9 Syracuse and No. 13 Michigan.

The Wildcats were ahead, 49-22, at halftime and continued to pull away. Their biggest lead was 110-68 with 28 seconds to go.

“We’re proving you don’t have to go East to play for an outstanding basketball team,” Coach Lute Olson said. “Our high ranking is good for our program and good for the league to get recognition.”

Joe Turner came off the bench to score 15 points for Arizona, and Steve Kerr added 14 in 22 minutes.

Eldridge Recasner scored 29 for Washington.

Arizona State 66, Washington State 65--Arthur Thomas sank a pair of free throws with six seconds left in overtime to sent the Wildcats past the Cougars in a Pac-10 opener at Pullman, Wash.

Brian Wright, who scored 24 points, gave the Cougars (3-4) a 65-64 lead by sinking two free throws with 32 seconds left.

Eric Holloway of Arizona State (5-2) had 15 of his 23 points in the second half and had 11 rebounds.

The Cougars’ Todd Anderson tied it, 56-56, with 51 seconds left and WSU’s John Hodges blocked Holloway’s shot at the buzzer, forcing overtime.

Purdue 101, Kansas State 72--Todd Mitchell scored 22 points, 14 in the first half, to lead the 12th-ranked Boilermakers past the Wildcats at West Lafayette, La.

The Boilermakers (7-1) scored the last six points of the first half for a 49-35 lead at intermission and ran away in the second half.

Troy Lewis also had 22 points and Melvin McCants added 19 points for Purdue. Mitch Richmond and Fred McCoy had 14 points each for Kansas State (5-3).

TCU 72, Tulsa 70--Norman Anderson had 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Horned Frogs overcame the Golden Hurricane in overtime at Tulsa, Okla.

Tulsa had a 66-65 lead with three minutes left in overtime, but Danny Hughes hit a three-pointer to put TCU ahead to stay.

Anderson’s 12-footer gave TCU a 59-57 lead with 35 seconds left in regulation, but Tulsa’s Tracy Moore tied the score on a 17-foot jumper with six seconds left.

North Carolina Wilmington 98, Boston College 82--Barry Houzer had 28 points and 9 rebounds as the Seahawks surprised the Eagles at Wilmington, N.C.

Boston College (5-2) rallied from an 13-point deficit and sliced Wilmington’s lead to 69-67 with 8:53 left, but the Seahawks (2-3) reeled off seven straight points to regain control.

Dana Barros scored 31 points for Boston College.

Houston 91, Drexel 88--Richard Hollis scored 21 of his 37 points on three-pointers as the Cougars (4-2) outscored the Dragons (4-2) in the first round of the Spindletop Blowout tournament at Beaumont, Tex.