SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior UA forward Elizabeth Pickney drives past a Washington State defender Thursday night in McKale Center.

Warren sets career high as women's hoops blows by Cougars

A visit from Washington State was just what the Arizona women's basketball team - a squad that has been plagued by injuries, resignations and a series of losses - needed to regain the confidence it lost somewhere in the middle of its season.

"This is a big confidence booster," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said. "We played hard and every time we scored, we got more confident and loose. This is what we're supposed to look like."

Arizona (6-8 overall, 2-5 Pacific 10 Conference) shut out the Cougars, 107-57 on its home court, setting a school record for points scored while handing WSU its worst-ever loss.

The Wildcats led the Cougars on an early first-half run, outscoring Washington State 46-30 at the end of the first half.

Inspired by high intensity on the UA bench, the Wildcats stepped up their play in the second half, scoring 61 second-half points while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line.

"Tonight, we knew we needed to get our confidence back and keep going up (from here)," junior forward/guard Krista Warren said. "It was obvious we got in the flow, especially in the second half, and we just kept on going."

Warren set a career high with 21 points, beating her previous record of 19 points set on December 12, 2000 against Fresno State.

Warren also grabbed 12 rebounds and added one assist.

Sophomore guard Candice Allen, who had been sidelined for a month after suffering a concussion, returned to the Wildcats and contributed 17 points - just one point shy of tying her career-high point total.

"Krista played the best game of her career," Bonvicini said. "Candice gives us something no one else her size can."

UA's victory marked the first time this season every Wildcat player scored as Arizona earned its largest margin of victory over a Division 1 opponent since it cruised by Cal State Fullerton, 87-33 on December 8, 1995.

The win was long overdue for the Wildcats, who struggled to pick up victories over the long winter break holiday.

Arizona lost five of its seven games, barely squeezing by California 66-61 to pick up its first Pac-10 win of the season.

Last night's victory was just a small taste of what's to come in Arizona's future.

The Wildcats play host to a more physical and aggressive team from Washington tomorrow afternoon.

"(Tonight's win) was a huge confidence booster, and we're ready for Washington," Allen said. "We're really pumped and ready to kill them."

Tomorrow's game tips off at 2 pm in McKale Center.