Wildcats take game to Northwest

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior forward Bennett Davison hopes will play a big part in the Wildcats' effort to get more road wins when Arizona takes on Washington State tonight.

At least that's what Arizona is hoping.

The 10th-ranked Wildcats (12-4 overall, 5-2 in Pacific 10) will be looking to open their road trip on the right note when they face Washington State (10-8, 2-5) tonight at 7:30 in Pullman, Wash.

"This will be a very key trip for us," UA coach Lute Olson said. "I feel we are in the best shape, as a team, for a road trip. I think we've had some time to adjust our lineup and we feel comfortable with our depth situation."

The Wildcats have been paced recently by freshman guard Mike Bibby and sophomore guard Jason Terry. Bibby averaged 19.5 points per game against the Oregon schools and Terry contributed 16 points, seven assists and three steals against Oregon State.

While Bibby appears to be more comfortable in his role as team leader, he still has to show he can do the job on the road.

"The last road trip we had, I had a couple of bad games. But, I feel that I will bounce back this week," Bibby said. "These games are going to be big for us, so I think we just have to come out and play hard from the start and we will do well."

The Cougars are led by senior guard Isaac Fontaine. Fontaine, who is currently second in the Pac-10 in scoring (21.1 points per game), has taken nearly 100 more shots than any other player on his team. Terry, Arizona's defensive stopper, will draw the duty of trying to stop Fontaine.

"The key to beating Washington State is stopping Fontaine," Olson said. "If you can limit his touches, they will have a tough time scoring points because he is such a huge part of their offense."

Aside from Fontaine, the Cougars basically rely on the inside presence of junior forward Carlos Daniel and senior forward Tavares Mack. The two combine for 14.2 rebounds per game and have a total of 37 blocked shots. Former Tempe star, freshman Beau Archibald also provides a shooting lift off the bench.

"I think that we will continue to rebound well against Washington State," UA junior guard Miles Simon said. "They have been a tough team, but I'm confident in our ability to hit the boards and do the job."

With their recent success against the Cougars in mind, Arizona will be looking to push the ball early and often.

"I want to get in the game and start forcing the play early," Bibby said. "I think we can push the ball against them and wear them out."