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Hot off the bench

The roommate duo was definitely clicking on all cylinders last night.

Sophomore swing forward Richard Jefferson and redshirt freshman forward Luke Walton showed the "the best" McKale Center crowd, according to UA head coach Lute Olson, just how good of friends they can be in the Wildcats 86-81 victory over Stanford.

Walton and Jefferson also proved it to the big man in the crowd - Bill Walton.

"Unbelievable," the elder Walton proclaimed, while the UA crowd was storming Lute Olson Court.

With Jefferson's 19 points, the first points he has scored since the last Stanford game on Jan. 8 and Walton's 15 points and 12 assists, the question of who takes who out for dinner come up.

"Bill's in town, so he's taking us both out," the younger Walton said.

Both forwards had a slow start, but when Jefferson got his first bucket on an alley-oop layup from freshman guard Jason Gardner, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Once I got the first points out of the way, I was cool," Jefferson said. "A big burden was lifted as soon as I got up on the board."

Walton and Jefferson combined for only 10 points in the first half, with Walton garnering four assists.

UA led at the half, 39-37, but both players were not satisfied with their performances, and as a result they each came out on fire in the second stanza, combining for 24 points, while Walton dished out eight more assists.

"We all stepped up and that is what we had to do to win, and we did it," Walton said. "Rich said tonight would be his breakout game, and he proved it."

Everything wasn't gleeful for UA, though, as junior power forward Justin Wessel went down with a sprained ankle, and is expected to miss Saturday's game against California, which is now for the Pacific 10 Conference title.

"It is a second degree sprain, which is moderate," UA head athletic trainer Ed Orr said. "We'll know a lot more in the morning when he comes in for some treatment. It is pretty swollen and sore."

The players, though, are confident that Wessel will be back for the NCAA Tournament.

"Wessel will be back," Jefferson said. "He played his heart out and he has played great for us. Justin just played his butt off."