ERIC M. JUKELEVICS/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA freshman guard Salim Stoudamire fights for a rebound against Washington State Saturday in McKale Center. The Wildcats swept the Washington schools over the weekend to take the top spot in the Pac-10 standings.

Oregon's loss is Arizona's gain

Now just five games from the end of the regular season, Arizona is right where it wants to be - in first place.

Following Arizona's 85-68 win over Washington State on Saturday, and Oregon's 107-103 defeat at the hands of California, the Wildcats moved into first place in the Pacific 10 Conference.

The win came despite the loss of freshman guard Will Bynum, who was unavailable due to what head coach Lute Olson described as "respiratory problems."

Bynum was at the shootaround prior to the game, but was sent home by the team doctor both so he could rest and so that the illness could not be transmitted to other players, Olson said.

"(Bynum) has upper respiratory problems," Olson said. "We don't let Will near the other guys."

Olson said although his team leads the Pac-10, there is a lot of basketball still to be played, and with a trip to UCLA and Southern California this week, things will only get tougher.

"This thing will go down to the bitter end, there's no question about that," Olson said. "Every game will have a direct bearing on the outcome of the race. When there are this many teams together, anything can happen."

Behind Arizona (17-6, 10-3), four teams sit with 8-4 conference records. Second place Oregon is at 9-4, giving it a slim edge on the rest of the field, but the Ducks have lost two straight games, both in overtime on the road.

As the Ducks' cold streak forced them from the top spot in the conference, Arizona has been arguably the hottest team in the league.

The Wildcats are 9-2 in their last 11 games, including four wins in a row.

Junior forward Luke Walton said he is happy with the team's position atop the Pac-10, but knows there is a lot of work to be done before March.

"It means a lot (to be in first place). The Pac-10 is a very tough conference," Walton said. " Everyone expected us to be so bad, and to prove everyone wrong, it feels great."

No. 11 Arizona shot just 41 percent from the field in the win over the Cougars, but the 17-point win was the third highest margin of victory for the Wildcats this season.

Junior guard Jason Gardner is experiencing his worst shooting slump of the season. Saturday's nine-point performance was his second lowest of the year. In the last two games, Gardner is a combined 7-26 from the field and 3-15 from behind the arc.

Though Gardner's shooting struggles are evident, the All-American candidate has found other ways to contribute.

Gardner dished out a team-high 14 assists and tallied seven steals in the past two games.

Gardner's teammates have also picked up the slack.

During the four-game winning streak, Walton has been at his best.

Walton is shooting 59.3 percent from the field during the streak, and added two more double-doubles to his season total, now at seven.

"I was feeling good," said Walton following his 26-point, 10-rebound performance Saturday against Washington State, "My confidence is as high as it has been in college."