TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- New Mexico State played rough against Arizona (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) Friday night, and that suited Michael Wright just fine.

The sophomore power forward scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Wildcats beat the Aggies 84-60 to advance to the semifinals of the Preseason NIT.

"I like it real physical," Wright said. "I love to bang."

Wright even banked in his first collegiate 3-pointer on what was supposed to be a pass.

The Wildcats (2-0), who play Notre Dame next Wednesday night in New York's Madison Square Garden, broke open the rough contest with runs of 17-5 and 14-0 in the second half.

"It was a real war for us," Arizona coach Lute Olson said. "Then in the second half we wore them down. The key was the defensive pressure we put on their shots."

"We have the opportunity to be a good defensive team," Olson said. "We showed that."

Richard Jefferson scored five of his 11 points during the 17-5 surge as Arizona won its 34th in a row at home. The last two times the Wildcats played in the Preseason NIT, in 1990 and 1995, they won the championship.

Freshmen guards Jason Gardner and Gilbert Arenas scored 11 and 10 for Arizona. Loren Woods scored 10 of his 13 in the final eight minutes for the Wildcats.

Billy Keys scored 15 for New Mexico State. Mikko Noopila and Eric Channing each added 11. New Mexico State shot 34 percent from the field. Channing, a 3-point specialist, was 3-for-11, 1-for-6 from 3-point range. Keys was 4-for-15 from the field.

"As a team, we're not shooting the ball well," coach Lou Henson said. "We shot 30 percent the other night and now 34 percent. That just won't get it done."

Arizona was 26-for-34 from the free throw line, compared with New Mexico State's 12-for-21.

"They're a real athletic team," Keys said. "We tried to mix it up inside and take them out of their game but our big men got in foul trouble and we couldn't maintain the physical play down low."

The Wildcats expect to see similar tactics as the season progresses.

"The big guys are going to try to be physical against us," Woods said. "Michael is strong. I'm working to get stronger, but I think we are way quicker, and our skills are better."

The Aggies played Arizona for the first time since 1971 in a matchup that featured two of the game's most successful veteran coaches.

Arizona led throughout, but the Aggies, with four starters back from last season, used a rugged defense to stay close into the second half. New Mexico State trailed 33-28 at the break.

Nooopila's 3-pointer cut the lead to 35-33 with 18:33 to play, then Arizona turned up the tempo.

Jefferson made two free throws and sank a 3-pointer and the Wildcats led 54-42. Freshman point guard Jason Gardner's steal and driving layup put Arizona ahead 48-36 with 12:36 to play. Gardner, who was fouled on the play, was called for a technical foul for taunting, his fourth personal.

Luke Walton, who had four assists and played tough defense in 18 strong minutes, capped the 17-5 run with two free throws to give Arizona a 52-38 lead with 8:24 remaining.

The Aggies managed one more rally. Keys scored five consecutive points, on a 3-pointer and two free throws, to cut it to 66-57 with 5:24 to go. But Woods scored four and blocked a shot during a 14-0 outburst that buried the Aggies.

The 6-foot-7, 238-pound Wright, last season's Pac-10 freshman of the year, scored 11 of the Wildcats' first 15 points.

With 2:37 to play, the Aggies were called for a technical for failing to substitute quickly enough after Noopila fouled out.