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Friday March 2, 2001

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Wildcat bench muscles past Beavers, 65-54

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By Keith Carmona

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Walton leads UA with 16 points, 4 assists

At this point in the season, Arizona will take a win any way they can get it.

If the slash in the win column comes after two starters are held without a field goal while the bench players dictate the tempo, so be it.

The Wildcats defeated Oregon State 65-54 last night behind the performance of the least likely of players.

"The bench got in and really started playing well, which was really encouraging," said UA sophomore forward Luke Walton, who came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points. "Down at this point of the season, if Coach O can have faith in us, we are going to be a more forceful team. We came in tonight and didn't let any of the momentum down, and as the second five - that's our main responsibility."

UA head coach Lute Olson said he was impressed with how Walton and senior forwards Justin Wessel and Gene Edgerson managed their court time.

Wessel and Edgerson, playing in their second-to-last game in McKale Center, combined for 11 points and seven rebounds.

More importantly to their coach, though, was that the five players off the bench committed only two of Arizona's 13 turnovers.

"The second five did a great job and came out with a lot of enthusiasm and really took care of the basketball," he said. "I thought the reserves came in and did a really good job defensively and were more patient offensively (than the starters)."

Though the UA coaches and players expected the Beavers to operate at a sluggish tempo, they were still bothered by their inability to establish an offensive rhythm.

Plagued with injuries, Oregon State arrived in Tucson with eight players in uniform. To make up for that, they forced UA to play at a slower pace, bringing the Wildcats out of their normal run-and-gun style.

"Oregon State plays the way they have to play given their situation," Olson said. "They are going to try to hang on to it as long as they can. I thought we stayed patient on defense, but did a miserable job with some opportunities offensively. There were poor decisions with the ball, trying to make difficult plays instead of just moving the ball and letting it happen."

Edgerson said that even though Arizona was playing the eighth-place team in the Pacific 10 Conference, he is concerned with tonight's apathy carrying into the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament where UA may face more teams that slow the tempo.

"Sure, we played a team that was not as good as us, but we cannot afford to play down to our competition," he said.

While starters Gilbert Arenas and Michael Wright scored 10 and 13 points respectively, both sophomore guard Jason Gardner and senior center Loren Woods were 0 for 4 from the field.

"I suck," said Woods, who pantomimed putting a gun to his head following one of his misses. "Anytime you go 0 for 4 against a team like Oregon State (is disappointing). Neither of their big guys are their best players. I didn't have a big game and am not ever expecting to have a big game in a uniform."

Woods, who was projected to be a top pick in the NBA draft after last season but chose to stay at UA, said that he wishes he could make that decision all over again.

"As far as playing, if I would have known I would have had a season like this, there would have been no question (that I would have come out)," he said. "Once the season is over, I probably will have to go back to the drawing board, working on short shots and post moves.

"I am just going to ride the backs of these guys, hopefully all the way to the Final Four."

After an All-Pac-10 and All-American season a year ago, Woods has seen his scoring and rebounding numbers plummet.

At one point in the second half, Woods signaled to be taken out of the game, which likely prompted Olson to question the 7-foot-1 senior's desire after the game.

"He is 22 or 23 years old, and if he gets down on himself, then he gets down on himself," Olson said. "His teammates and the staff have been trying to buck him up, but if he doesn't want to, he doesn't want to. It is obvious that it is not going to change now."