WILDCATS SURVIVE SCARE

TUCSON—Throughout the non-conference portion of Arizona’s season, interim head coach Kevin O’Neill constantly warned his Wildcats that these slow starts would eventually come back to haunt them.

If not for Nic Wise and Jordan Hill last night, these concerns might’ve become a reality.

The No. 21 Wildcats (10-3, 1-0 Pac-10) struggled mightily, trailing by as many as seven to the cellar-dwelling Oregon State Beavers (6-7, 0-1), but rallied midway through the second half to secure a 76-63 victory at McKale Center.

Playing without star Kansas transfer C.J. Giles, who was suspended for last night’s game for showing up late to the last two practices, Beavers’ head coach Jay John installed a perimeter-oriented pressure defense to disrupt the Wildcats’ half-court offense and slow their transition game to a halt.

"It’s like the law of the basketball land. Anytime a team is missing one of its stars, it always plays exceptionally well the following game," said interim head coach Kevin O’Neill.

Hill took advantage of the 7-footer’s absence, scoring 20 points and hauling in 14 rebounds, giving the 6-foot-10 sophomore his fourth double-double of the season.

Giles wasn’t the only high-profile recruit missing last night’s game. Arizona was missing one of its stars, as well.

Freshman phenom and leading scorer Jerryd Bayless sat out his second straight game due to a right knee sprain, suffered just hours before Arizona’s 76-63 loss at No. 2 Memphis on Saturday.

Wise stepped into the starting point guard spot and had one of his strongest games as a Wildcat, posting 17 points and six assists on 7-9 shooting.

Last night’s effort stood in stark contrast to the Memphis game, where Wise routinely forced contested jumpers early in the shot clock.

"Nic did what he didn’t do against Memphis—he managed the game," O’Neill said.

In the last two games, Wise has played 79 of a possible 80 minutes, gaining confidence every step of the way.

"My legs are tired and I’ve been struggling a bit the next day in practice, but I know what I need to do when I’m out there," Wise said. "I need to be bringing energy, whether I’m starting or coming off the bench."

With Bayless out at least one more game, if not more, Arizona’s offensive focal point has shifted back to Chase Budinger, the conference’s preseason Player of the Year.

Budinger’s struggles mirrored his team’s first-half disposition—sluggish, lackadaisical, and missing a sense of urgency. He managed only two points on 1-6 shooting prior to intermission.

However, after O’Neill "spoke directly" to Budinger during halftime, the former Pac-10 Freshman of the Year rediscovered his intensity and willed himself to 20 points and seven rebounds, including 9-10 from the charity stripe.

"Chase can be as good as he wants to be when he plays aggressively," senior Jawann McClellan said. "My dad always said if you’re struggling, you have to attack the hoop and find your rhythm and the free-throw line, and that’s exactly what Chase did."

McClellan added 10 points and Daniel Dillon chipped in with five, including two key jumpers as Arizona began to pull away in the second half.

Bret Brielmaier returned from a separated shoulder that sidelined him for the Memphis game and contributed four points and six rebounds in 25 minutes.

Freshman Omari Johnson led all Oregon State scorers with 19 points.

With the win, Arizona moves to 22-8 in conference openers, including a 12-1 mark at home.

Tomorrow, Arizona will square off against the Oregon Ducks at McKale Center in what figures to be a fast-paced, high-scoring game.

Oregon is coming off a disappointing 62-54 loss at Arizona State last night, and will look to regain its 83.3 points per game form in Tucson.

"Oregon is a guard-oriented team, and we’ll have to make sure to keep an eye on the three-point shooters if we’re going to have a chance to win," O’Neill said.

Tipoff is scheduled for noon tomorrow, with television coverage on Fox Sports Net.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747

Game Stats

ARIZONA (10-3)

Budinger 5-14 9-10 20, Hill 8-11 4-4 20, Brielmaier 2-4 0-0 4, McClellan 2-7 6-8 10, Wise 7-9 0-0 17, Dillon 2-3 0-0 5, Onobun 0-0 0-0 0, Horne 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-49 19-22 76.

OREGON ST. (6-7)

Jones 4-11 0-0 8, Johnson 7-12 2-3 19, Schaftenaar 2-7 0-0 5, J.Tarver 2-4 2-4 7, S.Tarver 4-12 4-6 13, Hampton 2-3 0-0 4, Claitt 1-3 0-0 2, Haynes 1-6 1-2 3, Carter 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-59 9-15 63.

Halftime—Oregon State 32-26. 3-Point Goals—Oregon St. 6-23 (Johnson 3-5, J.Tarver 1-2, Schaftenaar 1-4, S.Tarver 1-4, Claitt 0-2, Haynes 0-2, Jones 0-4), Arizona 5-9 (Wise 3-3, Dillon 1-1, Budinger 1-4, McClellan 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Oregon St. 32 (Johnson 9), Arizona 31 (Hill 14). Assists—Oregon St. 9 (S.Tarver 3), Arizona 16 (Wise 6). Total Fouls—Oregon St. 19, Arizona 12. A—14,351.