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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Sore left leg or not, Gilbert Arenas wasn't
about to watch No. 5 Arizona go down to a second consecutive defeat
-- in its home opener no less.
Arenas, who sat out practice Monday and didn't start
Wednesday night's game, scored 12 of his 21 points in a late 20-6
run as the Wildcats pulled away to beat Gonzaga 101-87.
|  | | Gonzaga's Zach Gourde looks for an opening as Arizona's Justin Wessel applies the pressure. |
Arenas said he couldn't even walk Monday after pulling a calf
muscle in Saturday's 72-69 loss to Purdue in Indianapolis.
"It was hurting during the game," Arenas said, "but I didn't
want to lose again."
The Wildcats made 34 of 39 free throws, including an
uncharacteristic 8-for-8 for reserve forward Eugene Edgerson.
"I was in the zone," Edgerson said. "I know what Michael
Jordan feels like now. I don't think I've made eight straight
before."
Arizona (4-1) was down 76-71 to the scrappy Bulldogs (3-1) with
7:42 to play.
But Casey Calvary, the only starter back from the Gonzaga team
that made it to the NCAA tournament's regional semifinals last
season, fouled out diving for a loose ball with 5:31 remaining and
the game tied at 80. The 'Zags ran out of steam after that.
"We're not going to beat Arizona on its own court without
Casey," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "There was a stretch where
we broke down in execution and it proved to be the difference.
Trying to get through stretches without him was too much."
Few and his players didn't think much of some of the calls
against Calvary.
"It hurts when our best player goes down on a couple of
questionable calls," freshman sharpshooter Blake Stepp said.
"Everyone is going to get a call like that sometimes, but you have
to play through it as a team. We just didn't execute like we
should."
Using the same style that made them the darlings of the last two
NCAA tournaments, Gonzaga was 11-for-23 from 3-point range.
"They have tremendous shooters on that ball club," Arizona
coach Lute Olson said. "They spread you out and Calvary inside is
a load. The margin was as deceiving as you will see. That was a lot
closer than the final score indicated. That is a good team."
Michael Wright scored 25 points for the Wildcats, 16 in the
first half as Arizona built a 49-40 lead. Richard Jefferson added
20, including a tomahawk stuff at the final buzzer. Jason Gardner
scored 11 points and Luke Walton added 10 for Arizona.
The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs 34-14 at the foul line.
Gonzaga was 14-for-26.
Stepp was 6-for-10 from 3-point range and scored 21 points for
Gonzaga, 15 in the second half. Dan Dickau added 20 points, 4-for-7
on 3-pointers. Calvary scored 16 and Mark Spink added 14. Dickau, a
transfer from Washington, injured his left hand -- apparently a
dislocated finger -- in the second half and was going to undergo
x-rays at a local hospital.
Gonzaga rallied from a 10-point deficit early in the second half
to take a 76-71 lead on Dickau's two free throws with 7:42
remaining. But Edgerson made four free throws to ignite the
decisive rally.
Arenas made three 3-pointers in the run. His running bank shot
put Arizona up 91-82 with 2:15 remaining.
"They were leaving me open because I was struggling," Arenas
said. "They were packing it in, daring us to shoot. We have to
prove we can shoot the ball from outside."
The Wildcats sealed the victory by making seven of eight free
throws over the last 1:07.
Down 52-42 after Jefferson's 3-pointer 26 seconds into the
second half, Gonzaga went on a 15-2 run. The 'Zags capped the
outburst with three 3-pointers, the first two by Stepp. The last
3-pointer, by Dickau, was supposed to be a lob pass, but went in to
give the Bulldogs their first lead, 57-54, with 14:41 to play.
Arizona regained a 67-64 lead on Arenas' two free throws with
10:15 to play, with Calvary drawing his fourth foul. But the
Bulldogs went on a 10-2 run to go up 74-69 with 8:30 remaining.
Stepp and Dickau each had a 3-pointer in the spurt.
Arizona, which began the season as the No. 1 team in the
nation, has one more game, at home Saturday against St. Mary's,
before 7-foot-2 Loren Woods comes off a six-game NCAA suspension
for receiving improper benefits from a family friend.
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ALSO SEE
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Gonzaga Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
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