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Arizona Wins It Up Front

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From Associated Press

Arizona State was primed for its biggest home game in years, and No. 1-ranked Arizona spoiled it with what might have been its best game of the season.

Arizona Coach Lute Olson, in his 30th season at the Division I level, has perhaps never had three front-court players play the kind of games that Luke Walton, Channing Frye and Rick Anderson did in Arizona’s 92-72 victory Saturday night at Tempe, Ariz.

Walton scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Frye, coming off a career-high 25 points last Saturday against USC, also had 23 points and 10 rebounds. Anderson matched his career high 19 points and had a season-high 12 rebounds.

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Together, they made 26 of 40 shots and 11 of 11 free throws.

The blowout came in front of the fourth-largest crowd at Arizona State, 14,421, which included 300 fans with standing-room tickets. It was the first time the Sun Devils had played host to a top-ranked opponent.

Frye scored 17 in the first half for Arizona, 21-2 overall and 13-1 in the Pac-10.

Tommy Smith scored a season-high 18 for Arizona State (17-8, 9-5). Freshman Ike Diogu had 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Arizona’s zone defense collapsed on Diogu and the Sun Devils couldn’t counter with consistent outside shooting.

The Wildcats outscored Arizona State, 12-4, in the final 2 1/2 minutes of the first half to go up, 51-43, at halftime, then started the second half with a 12-1 run.

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Washington 78, Oregon 66 -- Curtis Allen scored 17 points at Seattle as the Huskies (9-15, 4-11 Pac-10) broke a season-worst five-game losing streak.

Luke Ridnour scored 20 points for the Ducks (18-7, 8-6), but his Pac-10 record streak of free throws made was broken at 62 when he missed the first of two attempts with 1:31 remaining.

The Ducks tied a season low by shooting 33.3%.

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