SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Dee-Dee Wheeler scored a game high 25 points in UA's 79-66 win over No. 20 Washington.

All the talk on the Arizona women's basketball bench has been about winning a Pacific-10 Conference title and going into the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats came a step closer to realizing those goals with a 79-66 win over No. 20 Washington last night, but there is still work to do.

Arizona used nine different players to wear down the Huskies in front of 2,812 people at the McKale Center.

"(The bench) was huge tonight," said head coach Joan Bonvicini following last night's game. "That will be real important (down the stretch). You can't just rely on a few people. That's why you have your bench. When they get their opportunity you have to grasp it."

Stand-out freshman center Shawntinice Polk played most of her 17 minutes in foul trouble, but was still highly effective down low, scoring 14 points.

"Although Polk was absent for a majority of the game, the Wildcats arguably had their best bench performance all season. They had eight different players score and the same number played double-digit minutes.

"It's a great spark when the bench gets fired up," said sophomore Dee-Dee Wheeler. "It's really good when we can get a player to come off the bench and give the starters some breathing time."

Wheeler made a big contribution of her own. She continued her outstanding play in Pac-10 games, leading the Wildcats with a game-high 25 points, but it was Arizona's balance that really allowed them to knock off the Huskies.

The win was sweet for Arizona, as the Wildcats lost to the Huskies on a last-second shot the last time the two teams met. It was something that was on the minds of many of the players.

"We really shouldn't have lost that game in Washington, so this was a little bit of a payback game," said Polk.

Arizona fell 60-59 in Seattle in early January when the Wildcats couldn't make free throws in the game's final minute to seal the victory.

"We hate to lose close games like (the last time in Washington)," said Wheeler. "We took it really (personally), so when they came here we really wanted to get at them."

Another reason for the Wildcats' success against the Huskies was the play of their defense. UA held Washington to just 37 percent shooting from the floor and forced 15 turnovers.

Washington junior guard Giuliana Mendiola led the Huskies in scoring with 22 points, but UA was able to limit her open shots.

"She's a good player and she will get her points," said Wheeler. "I was really just trying to slow her down."

The Wildcats switched between a man and a zone defense to cut down on the Huskies' outside shooting. Washington came into this game as the No. 3 team in the nation in 3-point shooting, but Arizona held them to just 29 percent from behind the arc.

"We are a pretty good defensive team," said Bonvicini. "We are a lot better than most people give us credit for."

The Wildcats continue Pac-10 play tomorrow when they take on Washington State at 2 p.m. at McKale Center.

"This win got us back into the race for the Pac-10 (title)," said Polk. "This game and every game from here on out we are going to have to win."