The Arizona Wildcats needed to pick up a big victory over the Washington St. Cougars and not get caught looking ahead to their showdown with the Washington Huskies over the weekend. The UA dominated most of the contest on Thursday night as they went on to win 85-61 in a blowout fashion. Kyle Fogg led the way with 20 points, including 17 in the first half, while Solomon Hill ended with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
The Wildcats worked their way to an early double-digit lead and it got to no less than 13 points in the second half. The team shot nearly 51% from the field, hit 15 of their 26 attempts from behind the arc, and dished out 23 assists while turning the ball over just nine times.
"We played the majority of the game with five or six turnovers. A few of them came late once the game was out of control," said head coach Sean Miller, who praised Kevin Parrom for his stellar play off the bench. The junior wing had nine points, four rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes.
Brendon Lavender continued to shoot remarkably well and ended with 13 points. Josiah Turner was on his way to playing the best game of his short career as a Wildcat before being ejected after receiving his second technical. He earned one getting tangled with a WSU player a few minutes before and was called for the second after reportedly yelling, "I'll beat your ---" in the direction of another player.
"I'm confused (about the calls)," Miller said afterwards. Truth be told, those kind of things aren't even called for personal fouls in the Big East or ACC, but Pac-12 referees have their own special approach to handling a game.
Brock Motum led the Cougars with 18 points and nine rebounds. In what was a tough moment to watch, second-leading scorer Faisal Aden appeared to land awkwardly on his knee and had to be helped off the court. He did not return to the game and will likely be out for an extended period of time.
Arizona now shifts their focus to the Washington Huskies. ESPN's College GameDay will be in town for the conference showdown and the game is already sold out. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. from Tucson.
For more on the 'Cats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.