COLLEGE BASKETBALL PACIFIC 10 ROUNDUP : Defense Is Spark for Arizona

Coming from behind is becoming a habit for eighth-ranked Arizona.

The Wildcats won their 11th in a row and remained unbeaten in the Pac-10 by defeating Oregon State, 57-54, Saturday at Corvallis, Ore. But in four of the last seven victories, Coach Lute Olson’s team has found itself trailing by substantial margins.

Against Oregon State, the Wildcats fell behind, 10-0, trailed by five at halftime and were down by seven early in the second half.

“I thought we used terrible judgment early and that’s what got us in the hole,” Olson said. “But then our defense got us back into the game.”

At the end, free throws made the difference.

“We make our free throws, we win the game,” the Beavers’ Chad Scott said.

Scott scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but he missed two free throws that would have tied the game with 51 seconds to play. In all, he was seven for 14 from the line and the Beavers were 10 for 22.

Khalid Reeves, playing despite a sore right shoulder, scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half for the Wildcats (13-2, 7-0).

Oregon State (9-8, 5-3) lost to Arizona for the 17th time in their last 18 meetings.

Washington State 83, California 75--Eddie Hill and Bennie Seltzer got hot from the outside to help the Cougars overcome a 19-point second-half deficit at Berkeley.

Hill finished with 28 points, 17 in the second half. Seltzer scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half, when Washington State shot 67.9% from the field.

The Cougars (10-6, 4-3), who are leading the Pac-10 in three-point shooting, made 12 three-pointers against Cal (10-5, 4-3).

Arizona State 99, Oregon 84--Stevin Smith set a Pac-10 record, making 10 three-point baskets to lead the Sun Devils (10-5, 4-3) over the Ducks (7-13, 0-8) at Eugene, Ore.

Smith, a junior guard, finished the game with a career-high 34 points and broke former Arizona State guard Steve Beck’s record of nine, set in February, 1987. Smith attempted 17 three-pointers.

All of Smith’s 21 first-half points came on three-point shots. “It was just one of those days,” he said.

Washington 68, Stanford 67--Rich Manning’s short jump hook with 28 seconds remaining put the Huskies ahead to stay, and the Cardinal’s Marcus Lollie missed a three-point shot as time ran out at Stanford.

Washington (9-7, 3-4) ended a five-game losing streak to Stanford and a six-game losing streak at Maples Pavilion. Stanford (6-13, 1-6) lost its sixth game in a row. Neither team led by more than five points.