Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Down two starters, No. 5 Arizona survives Washington

Arizona State v Arizona

TUCSON, AZ - JANUARY 12: Lauri Markkanen #10 of the Arizona Wildcats reacts after scoring against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on January 12, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Sun Devils 91-75. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Getty Images

SEATTLE -- Lauri Markkanen had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Allonzo Trier scored a season-high 21 points and No. 5 Arizona held off a challenge from Washington for a 76-68 victory on Saturday night.

Arizona (25-3, 14-1 Pac-12) remained on top of the conference standings and won its fourth straight. The Wildcats did it short-handed, with starters Dusan Ristic and Kadeem Allen out because of injuries.

It wasn’t easy, as Washington put forth one of its best efforts of the season but still couldn’t snap a losing streak that’s now reached nine games, tied for the longest in school history. Chance Comanche’s rebound and dunk with 52 seconds left finally gave Arizona enough of a cushion to hold on in the final moments.

Markelle Fultz scored 26 points, but the Huskies (9-18, 2-13) had no field goals over the final 4:41 of the game.

Comanche finished with 12 points filling in for Ristic. Ristic was out after spraining his left ankle in Thursday’s win over Washington State. Allen was considered a game-time decision after dislocating a finger on his shooting hand, but never left the Wildcats’ bench.

Washington took its only lead at 52-51 as Fultz spun through the lane and converted a difficult layup with 14:50 remaining. Arizona coach Sean Miller called timeout and Arizona immediately went to a zone defense that stymied the Huskies. Meanwhile, Trier hit his fourth 3-pointer to put Arizona in front and dunks by Markkanen and Comanche pushed the lead to 60-53 with 10:40 remaining.

David Crisp’s 3-pointer snapped a nearly five-minute drought without a field goal by Washington, but Markkanen scored four straight points to push the lead to 67-58 with 7:20 left.

The Huskies didn’t go away. Fultz rattled in a 3-pointer with 4:37 left and Arizona’s lead was down to 69-65. It was the final field goal for the Huskies as the Wildcats pulled away in the closing moments.

BIG PICTURE

Arizona: Trier had a combined 11 points in his previous two games and made 3 of 17 shots in those games against California and Washington State. He was 6 of 10 against the Huskies, including five 3-pointers, a new career high.

Washington: Center Malik Dime played for the first time since breaking a finger in his shooting hand last month and since serving a suspension for slapping a fan at Colorado. Dime played just 20 minutes due to foul trouble but at least gives the Huskies another size option on the interior the final few weeks of conference play.

UP NEXT

Arizona: The Wildcats return home to host USC on Thursday night.

Washington: The Huskies travel to rival Washington State next Sunday.