KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona junior forward Luke Walton drives baseline past a UConn defender earlier this season in McKale Center. Walton and the Wildcats play host to Washington tonight at home.

Wildcats face 'athletic' UW team tonight at home

Now that No. 11 Arizona is back to its winning ways, the Wildcats will look to pick up a little momentum heading into the home stretch against Washington tonight at 6:30 in McKale Center.

On paper, Washington (8-13 overall, 2-9 Pacific 10 Conference) seems overmatched, but the Huskies have assumed the role of spoiler and are eyeing the eighth and final spot in the Pac-10 tournament next month.

Facing a Washington lineup filled with athletic players, Arizona head coach Lute Olson is aware of the potential of the Huskies.

"(Washington) plays very well," Olson said. "They just have not been able to close teams out. There is no question they have played well enough to win."

Playing well and winning don't seem to be going together for Washington this season.

After a 5-1 start, the Huskies have won just three of 15 games. However, Washington has been able to do something that not even the Wildcats (15-6 overall, 8-3 Pac-10) have done this season - beat Oregon.

Led by sophomore forward Doug Wrenn's 32 points and seven rebounds, the Huskies handed the Ducks their second conference loss of the season Jan. 24, helping Arizona stay in the race for the Pac-10 regular season title.

Along with sophomore guard Curtis Allen, UW boasts a potentially potent back court.

"(Doug) Wrenn is as good as there is in the league when you look at scoring ability and rebounding," Olson said. "We still haven't seen anyone quicker than Curtis Allen in this league."

Potential aside, Washington has yet to win a conference road game and has scored more than 70 points only twice since a Jan. 10 victory over Arizona State.

During that period, the Huskies added five more marks to the loss column, but did tally the 97-92 win over No. 19 Oregon.

Olson said Washington is capable of pulling an upset as they showed against Oregon, and said he is preparing his team accordingly.

"Washington is very, very athletic," Olson said. "If they shoot the ball well, then they are capable of pulling off (an upset)."

Perhaps the one thing that prevents UW from pulling off more upsets is its free-throw percentage.

The Huskies have been less than impressive from the charity stripe, connecting on just 68 percent of their free throws. Though that number is fifth in the Pac-10, when the game is on the line, it has been free throws that have taken away the Husky bite.

Olson cited the last meeting between the teams - a 74-69 UA victory - in which Washington failed to make free throws down the stretch that could have kept the game close.

"It seems like that's where they get themselves in trouble," Olson said. "In looking back at (the game in Seattle), they had two guys in a row miss front ends of one-and-ones that would have gotten it down to a last possession."