Pacific 10 Roundup : Payton Gets 41, Oregon State Routs Washington State, 90-63

Gary Payton scored a career-high 41 points Saturday night to lead Oregon State to a 90-63 Pacific 10 Conference victory over Washington State at Corvallis, Ore.

Payton’s total was the most points by an Oregon State player since center Mel Counts scored 42 in 1963, before Payton was born. The 6-foot 3-inch guard from Oakland also dished out 7 assists and had 4 steals.

Payton hit 12 of 18 shots, including an Oregon State record for 3-pointers, making 7 of 10 to break the record of Bill Sherwood, who hit 6 in a game last season. Payton also made 10 of 12 free throws.

Oregon State (12-4 overall, 6-3 in the Pac-10) broke away from a 20-20 tie on 2 free throws and a basket by Payton en route to a 45-35 halftime lead. Payton had 22 of his points in the first half.

The Cougars (6-10, 1-6) scored only 1 field goal in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the second half and fell behind, 57-40. Oregon State achieved its biggest lead by scoring the final 8 points.

Brian Quinnett had 27 points for the Cougars, and Darryl Woods added 11.

Eric Knox had 16 points for Oregon State.

Washington 71, Oregon 70--Dion Brown scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Huskies held on to beat the Ducks at Eugene, Ore.

Trailing, 66-62, with 3:10 left, Washington (6-9, 3-4) scored 9 straight points, taking the lead on a 3-point shot by Mike Hayward. Brown hit a basket, and Eldridge Recasner added a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to make it 71-66.

Randy Grant got Oregon (7-9, 2-4) close with 2 baskets but missed a free throw with 12 seconds left, and Washington ran out the clock.