Arizona’s ship keeps sailing. The Wildcats beat Washington State 79-70 with Derrick Williams getting 26 points and nine rebounds. Now, it’s on to Saturday’s ESPN showdown against Washington at 4 p.m.
Arizona improves to 22-4 overall and 11-2 in the Pac-10.
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Kyle Fogg misses back end of pair of free throws. Team streak ends at 21.
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UA is 20 of 20 from foul line — a school record for consecutive free throws made in a game.
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If Arizona holds on to win this game, it likely will look back at key 30-second stretch with more than four minutes to go. On the offensive end, Derrick Williams dropped in a baseline 10-footer at the buzzer for a 70-63 lead. On WSU’s possession, DeAngelo Casto failed to elevate enough and got stuffed by the front of the rim on a dunk attempt. The ball ended up in the hands of Kyle Fogg, who was fouled. He made both free throws for a nine-point lead.
Arizona has that 72-63 lead at the last media timeout with 3:43 to play.
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Arizona led 50-33 early in the second half, but coach Sean Miller has lamented his team’s inability to finish games. Is this the lack of of maturity he talked about? WSU within 66-61 with six minutes left.
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Washington State closes to within 60-53 with about 10 minutes to go, but Arizona is maintaining its lead behind Derrick Williams, who has 24 points and has made 12 of 12 free throw attempts.
Cats leads 64-55 with 7:40 to play.
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Up in Tempe, Washington wing Scott Suggs suffers a sprained knee against ASU and is unlikely to play Saturday at Arizona.
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Holy Jimmer. Klay Thompson knocks down a 3-pointer to give him 23 points. He pulls WSU within 56-48 with 12:38 to play. It’s still a ballgame.
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Klay Thompson is up to 18 points for Washington State as the Cougars try to fight back. Arizona still using the stiff-arm, leads 56-43 with 13:24 to go.
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It’s the Solomon Hill Show early in the second half. Didn’t see that coming. Hill, whose baskets here include a 3-pointer to start the half and a drive to the hoop for two points, has seven points in less than three minutes after halftime.
Consider this: He had only three baskets in the past three games.
Arizona leads 48-33.
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Halftime. Arizona leads 41-33 after MoMo Jones goes coast-to-coast in the final several seconds, hitting a pull-up jumper from the foul line at the buzzer.
Derrick Williams got hot for the Cats late in the half, going into the break with 12 points. Jamelle Horne has been a boost for Arizona, hitting all three of his shot attempts.
Arizona led by 11 points on a three occasions, including 22-11 and 39-28.
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I’ve written this before, but here goes again — the prettiest sight for Arizona basketball is Kevin Parrom leading the fast break. He glides down court — as he just did after a steal — and usually delivers. In this case, he finds Jamelle Horne running the middle of the court for a dunk.
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Arizona’s cold stretch has tightened the game, as the Wildcats have been stuck on 22 points for a few minutes. Washington State within five points with 7:31 to go in the half. Arizona hasn’t established Derrick Williams inside, so the Cats are left with other guys trying to get hot against WSU’s zone.
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Back-to-back 3-pointers by Washington State — Abe Lodwick and Kyle Thompson — bring the Cougars within 22-17.
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Jesse Perry seems to getting more creative inside. He has six points — all from around the basket (including a dunk) — as Arizona leads 22-14 with 9:28 to play.
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No problems with intensity or energy tonight at McKale Center; crowd into it after not seeing the team in person since Jan. 29. Arizona leads 18-9 with 11:47 to play.
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Kyle Fogg stays hot from the ASU game, hits his first 3-point attempt of the game.
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Remember what Sean Miller said about how well WSU’s DeAngelo Casto defended the basket (see below)? He just swatted Derrick Williams’ shot of bounds after Williams jump-stopped his way through the lane.
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McKale Center is rocking with 15:28 to go as Washington State coach Ken Bone has to call timeout after an 8-0 Arizona run to give the Wildcats a 10-4 lead. Kyle Fogg, as he did in Pullman, is making life tough for WSU star Klay Thompson, who is 0-2 from the field.
In one sequence, Fogg forced Thompson into a tough fadeway along the baseline. And, now, right before the media timeout with 14:59 left in the half, Thompson tries to get into the lane but ends up throwing the ball away under the basket as Fogg doesn’t give up the shot.
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Javier Morales of TucsonCitizen.com and WildAboutAZCats.com tweets that Arizona coach Sean Miller told Fox Sports Net before the game: “As the stakes keep getting higher, effort is what you want to see.”
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For those watching on TV, be on the lookout for the cameras panning to former UA and Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, who tweets that she is in McKale Center for the game.
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For an opponent’s view of the action, check out the blog of Vince Grippi of the Spokane Spokesman-Review.
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An excellent day off the court for the Arizona Wildcats basketball team — the commitment of 6-8 forward Angelo Chol over Kansas and North Carolina — gives way to actual game.
Arizona, looking to maintain its lead in the Pac-10, takes on visiting Washington State at McKale Center. The Cougars are led by junior guard Klay Thompson, a shooter who is averaging 20.6 points per game, but the WSU player who has really been trouble for Arizona is junior big man DeAngelo Casto.
Casto had 17 points and six rebounds, shooting 8 of 12 from the field, in Arizona’s 65-63 victory over the Cougars on Jan. 22.
Last season, Casto combined for 35 points and 18 rebounds in two games against the Cats.
And then there’s this:
“DeAngelo Casto does as good a job defending the basket as anyone we play against,” said Arizona coach Sean Miller.
Casto should be good to go after suffering a sprained ankle Saturday against Cal.
He’s been hot, averaging 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in his past seven games as he’s made 44 of 66 shots.
“He’s probably played as good a basketball the last few weeks as I’ve ever seen him play,” WSU coach Ken Bone was quoted as saying in the Spokane Spokesman-Review. “He’s been very productive on the offensive end, he continues to have a great defensive presence and his focus has been extremely good.
“I really like the way he’s been playing.”
Check back later for our in-game updates, etc…
More pregame reading:
Javier Morales: Arizona-Washington State breakdown and prediction