Without Walton and Bynum, Gardner steps up

CHRIS CODUTO / Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior guard Jason Gardner brings the ball up the court while Oregon's Ian Crosswhite (11) tries to catch up. Arizona won Thursday's game 81-72 ending Oregon's 23 game home win streak.

Down 11 points and without Luke Walton, it didn't look good for Arizona.

Already having lost to the Oregon Ducks for the last three years in Eugene, Ore., No. 4 UA was on its way to another crushing defeat.

But senior Jason Gardner wouldn't let it happen.

Jason Gardner scored 21 points as Arizona rallied to beat the Ducks 81-72 late Thursday night, which also snapped the Ducks' 23-game home winning streak.

The win gives the Wildcats the early edge in the Pacific 10 Conference, in both the team's conference opener.

The Wildcats (8-1, 1-0) played without Walton, who is out with his fourth ankle injury of the season, and without sophomore guard Will Bynum who didn't make the trip to Oregon.

Walton dressed and participated in pre-game warm-ups but didn't play Thursday and is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against Oregon State.

Bynum, who considered transferring after last season, is likely to do so in the next couple days. He played a total of 14 minutes during the Wildcats two games in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament.

With Walton and Bynum unavailable senior Rick Anderson had to be a bigger role on both sides of the floor. Anderson had 15 points and him and Gardner made consecutive 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a 76-70 lead with 1:20 to go and Arizona led the rest of the way. Freshman Hassan Adams, the Fiesta Bowl MVP, added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Junior Luke Jackson led the Ducks (9-2, 0-1) with 20 points, while junior Luke Ridnour added 16.

Rebounding had been a problem earlier in the season, but Arizona dominated the Ducks on the glass by a total of 50-28.

UA takes on Oregon State (7-3, 0-1), which lost to Arizona State (9-3; 1-0) by 20 points, 67-47, on Thursday night.

The game will be the first time that Jay John, the first year Beaver head coach and former Arizona assistant coach, will coach against his former team.