Rodgers' career-high 22 points paces UA

For most of the season junior guard Chris Rodgers has been a spark plug coming off the bench for the Arizona men's basketball team, but in last night's 77-68 win over Southern California in McKale Center, he was the main source of power.

Rodgers scored a career-high 22 points in leading all scorers and pushing the Wildcats to 3-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference. [Read article]

As sophomore center Kirk Walter stepped on the floor for the Wildcats' 77-68 win over USC last night he received a slight applause, but the biggest reaction he got was from the puzzled faces.

Walters, who was previously set to redshirt this year, saw his first action of the season and last his chance to only practice this season and gain anther year of eligibility.

"(Head) coach (Lute) Olson said that he thought I was ready, and he thought that a little more depth in the post would help us out a lot," Walters said. [Read article]

After a bitter 78-66 loss to No. 8 Stanford on Sunday at McKale Center and the consequent end to the nation's longest home wining streak at 34 games, the Arizona women's basketball team (11-4, 3-2 Pac-10) look to bounce back this weekend with a pair of games in Southern California.

Besides facing two quality teams in UCLA and USC, the Wildcats have to travel outside the friendly confines of McKale, where they hold a 4-3 record. [Read article]

With a spot in the postseason in their sights, the UA Icecats (7-6-1) host Depaul today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Tucson Convention Center.

Arizona comes into the matchup undefeated in 2005 after sweeping St. Louis last weekend.

Icecat head coach Leo Golembiewski said if UA is to spend March in Bensenville, Ill., site of the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship tournament, it must continue a winning trend. [Read article]

With their season just a meet old, the Arizona gymnastics team is already looking for a bit of redemption.

After finishing fourth in a low-scoring performance at last week's Super Six Challenge and dropping from No. 13 to No. 21 in the rankings, the Gymcats hope McKale Center will provide a bit of relief.

UA hosts its first meet of the year tonight at 7:30 when No. 6 Michigan State, No. 23 Missouri and Illinois-Chicago come to McKale Center. [Read article]

The men's tennis team plays its first home match of spring after a full slate of fall tournaments on the road, as the Wildcats battle NAU Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center.

The UA will be far from full strength when it takes the court, as four players will be missing.

The team's top two players, junior Roger Matalonga and senior Colin O'Grady, will be playing at a Palm Springs tournament. Also, junior Daniel Andrus is injured and freshman Claudio Christian, a hard-hitter from Switzerland who will join Arizona for the spring semester, doesn't arrive until Tuesday. [Read article]

The Arizona swim and dive team hosts Northwestern and Washington in a tri-meet starting today at 2 p.m. and continuing Saturday at 11 a.m. at Hillenbrand Aquatic Center in hopes of remaining unbeaten in the new year.

However, the No. 4 Wildcats' 1-0 mark in 2005 could be in trouble with two highly unknown teams coming to Tucson.

"We don't normally get a chance to swim these teams," said head coach Frank Busch. "I think it will be a good meet. Everyone is just really excited to swim against some different teams that we do not get a chance to race normally." [Read article]