Adams Stars in Arizona Win

Hassan Adams and the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats had quite a debut Saturday at Tucson in a 107-68 rout of 19th-ranked Western Kentucky.

Adams, a freshman guard from Westchester High, scored 22 points and his dunk on a lob from Jason Gardner gave the Wildcats an 18-4 lead seven minutes into the game.

After the Hilltoppers, also playing in their season opener, closed to within 27-17, Arizona stepped up the defensive pressure to help ignite a 24-2 run. Adams’ 10-footer with 1:35 to go in the half capped the run for a 51-19 lead. Luke Walton and Will Bynum each made two three-pointers and Rick Anderson had one during the run.

“The defense is coming,” Coach Lute Olson said. “This could be a very, very good defensive team by the time we get done.”

The Wildcats, who led by as many as 42 points, already looked pretty good, and they didn’t have guard Salim Stoudamire, the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year last season who sat out the game because of a sprained ankle.

Anderson scored 14 for Arizona, all in the first half, and Gardner added 12, all in the second half. Walton had 12 points and seven assists and Bynum scored 12. David Boyden scored 26 for Western Kentucky, including four three-point baskets.

“If we want to win,” Adams said, “we have to destroy whoever we play. If it’s a top 20 team or not.”

No. 5 Pittsburgh 82, Duquesne 67 -- The Panthers, opening a season ranked in the top five for the first time in 15 years, overcame a below-average game from star Brandin Knight to pull away for the victory over its cross-town rival.

The first men’s game in the $96.4-million Petersen Events Center -- the most expensive ever built on a Big East Conference campus -- was unexpectedly tight for much of the game.

Pitt (1-0) trailed until the final minute of the first half, then Julius Page scored eight of his team-high 17 points in a 16-7 run to start the second half for a 49-36 lead. Knight finished with 13 points.

Jimmy Tricco, a transfer playing for the first time since the 2001 NCAA tournament with Gonzaga, and reserve guard Brad Midgley each had 13 points for Duquesne (0-1).

No. 6 Duke 101, Army 53 -- Freshman Shavlik Randolph scored 23 points in Durham, N.C., for the Blue Devils, who improved to 21-2 in season openers under Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Dahntay Jones and freshman J.J. Redick each had 14 points, and Daniel Ewing added 10 for Duke.

Joey Payton led Army with 10 points.

No. 7 Oklahoma 82, Princeton 63 -- Ebi Ere started quickly, scoring the Sooners’ first nine points, and finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the championship game of the Sooner Invitational in Norman.

Jabahri Brown scored 14 and Hollis Price had 13 for the Sooners (2-1), who shot 53.6% and had a 34-24 rebounding edge on the Tigers (1-1).

Louisiana Lafayette 79, No. 12 Mississippi State 76 -- Brad Boyd scored 33 points and made a three-pointer with 1:12 left to put the Ragin’ Cajuns ahead for good in the upset in Starkville, Miss.

The Bulldogs played their season opener without star center Mario Austin, who is being held out pending an NCAA ruling on his eligibility.

Anthony Johnson added 26 points for Louisiana Lafayette (1-0), including four free throws in the closing minutes to help clinch it.

No. 23 Cincinnati 54, Tennessee Tech 48 -- The Bearcats (1-0) went more than nine minutes without scoring, but Leonard Stokes ended the drought with 15 consecutive points to help defeat the Golden Eagles (0-1) in Cincinnati, eight weeks after Coach Bob Huggins suffered a heart attack.

Huggins kept his temper in check until the Bearcats’ second-half slump, when he railed at the officials and yelled at his players for their offensive performance. Stokes led all scorers with 21 points.

In other games involving top 25 teams:

Brandon Mouton had 18 points and James Thomas finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds for No. 3 Texas (2-0), which rolled to an 81-55 victory over Stephen F. Austin (0-1) in Austin, Texas.... Ben Gordon scored 22 points to lead No. 14 Connecticut (1-0) to a 91-72 win over Quinnipiac (0-1) at Storrs, Conn.... Dwyane Wade scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half as No. 16 Marquette (3-0) took an 80-68 victory over Texas-San Antonio (1-1) to win the Pepsi Blue and Gold Classic in Milwaukee.... Jarvis Hayes scored 19 points, including 11 in a 22-5 second-half run, and No. 18 Georgia (1-1) beat Belmont (1-2), 87-71, at Athens, Ga.... Dante Swanson had 23 points to lead No. 25 Tulsa (1-0) to a 71-61 victory over New Mexico State (1-1) in the Roundball Invitational at South Padre Island, Texas.