Arizona Flexes Its Might in 104-65 Win

Loren Woods, in his last McKale Center appearance, broke out of his season-long funk Saturday as the ninth-ranked Wildcats avenged their worst loss of the season with a 104-65 rout of Oregon at Tucson.

“Loren came out with a positive attitude and he was aggressive right from the start,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said. “He did a great job of taking the ball right to the basket.”

Woods scored 17 points on eight-of-10 shooting and had seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.

“I seemed more lucky today,” he said. “Two weeks ago, I’m one for 10. Today I’m eight for 10. It’s luck. I just threw shots up there. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t.”

All five starters were in double figures for the Wildcats (21-7, 13-3 in the Pac-10), who had lost two in a row to Oregon, the latest a 79-67 defeat in Eugene, Ore., on Feb. 1. Since then, Arizona has gone 8-1 and the Ducks 1-8.

“We really put a lot of effort out there,” said senior Gene Edgerson, the only player left from Arizona’s 1997 national championship team. “We have been thinking about revenge all week. That is the game that put us out of the Pac-10 race.”

It was Oregon’s worst loss since the Wildcats beat the Ducks, 104-56, on Feb. 27, 1992, and Arizona’s highest-scoring game in three seasons.

The only bigger victory margin for the Wildcats this season was 101-41 over St. Mary’s on Dec. 2.

“If we put our heads together, we can blow any team out like that,” Wright said. “We just have to pass the ball and take care of ourselves on defense.”

Michael Wright added 18 points for Arizona, which led by as many as 51 points in the second half.

Luke Jackson scored 15 points to lead the Ducks (13-14, 4-13). Bryan Bracey, the No. 2 scorer in the Pac-10 at 19 points a game, had seven to snap his string of 21 consecutive double-digit games.

“Everything was going Arizona’s way tonight,” Oregon Coach Ernie Kent said. “Everything was going in, and the frustration of our team took a toll. It was a tough ball game in every category.”

Arizona State 61, Oregon State 59--Alton Mason scored on a drive with four seconds left to lift the Sun Devils at Tempe, Ariz.

After Mason’s basket, Oregon State inbounded the ball but turned it over as time ran out.

“It was a curl play,” Mason said. “I couldn’t get the ball inside. I was able to go to the hole.”

Mason and Tommy Smith each scored 12 points to lead Arizona State (13-14, 5-11).

Jason Heide led Oregon State (10-19, 4-13) with 16 points.

There were 11 lead changes in the second half. Arizona State took the lead for good, 49-48, on a three-point basket by Brad Nahra with 7:28 left. A three-point basket by Oregon State’s Adam Masten with 38 seconds left tied the score at 59.

Washington State 79, Washington 61--Freshman Marcus Moore had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Cougars to victory at Pullman, Wash.

J Locklier added 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for Washington State (12-14, 5-11), which doubled its win total for last season.

Michael Johnson scored 18 points for Washington (9-19, 3-13).