UA blows out Beavers

Karen C. Tully Arizona Daily Wildcat UA center A.J. Bramlett and forward Donnell Harris go up to deny Oregon State's Terrill Woods in first half action of last night's 99-48 Arizona victory at McKale Center.

The 11th-ranked Wildcats (11-4 overall, 4-2 Pacific 10) made short work of Oregon State (5-10, 1-5), handing them an embarrassing 99-48 defeat in front of 14,259 Arizona faithful. For the Beavers, the 51-point loss was the worst in their history.

"In a loss like that, you're not sure what the next step is," OSU coach Eddie Payne said. "We just have to try and get by this one."

For the Wildcats, this game emphasized the team's return after a lackluster performance last weekend in Los Angeles.

"We didn't play well in Los Angeles, and I really wanted to redeem myself," said UA freshman guard Mike Bibby, who finished with 20 points and six rebounds. "The difference tonight was that we came out from the beginning and didn't let them get back in."

Arizona's pressure defense dictated the tempo, holding the Beavers to a dismal 32 percent shooting from the field. Two of Oregon State's top shooters, freshman Ron Grady and junior Jerome Vaden, were held to a combined 2 for 22 from the field.

"We wanted to force the action of Oregon State, and make them play differently than they are used to," UA coach Lute Olson said. "Once we started forcing turnovers, we had some easy transition baskets and built our confidence."

Even though the game was out of hand midway through the first half, the Wildcats still received gutsy performances from two key players. Junior Miles Simon returned from three days in a hospital for pneumonia to contribute 11 points on 3 of 4 shooting from behind the three-point line.

"I felt pretty good in the first half, but got a little winded in the second," Simon said. "But I don't see any reason why I won't be able to play against Oregon."

The team's hustle award went to freshman forward Eugene Edgerson. While he only logged 14 minutes, Edgerson's defensive intensity helped Arizona stay focused on putting the Beavers away.

"I think (Eugene) earned himself more minutes after tonight's performance," Olson said. "While he might not get many points, you can always count on Gene to go out and play hard. And right now that's something we need from our post men."

While the team's defense beat the Beavers, the Wildcats showed a devastating perimeter attack that included 10 of 19 shooting from beyond the arc.

"I think Mike Bibby's job at the point really opened up our offense," UA assistant coach Jesse Evans said. "I mean, we are in our 15th game, and Mike is successfully running this team. Right now, he's our maestro."

The Wildcats will look to complete their sweep of the Oregon schools when they face the Oregon Ducks tomorrow night at 6:37 in McKale Center.

"We have to put this one behind us and come out ready for Oregon," Simon said. "We know they are a very capable team and we are going to have to be prepared."