TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Defensively, Arizona is living up to those
lofty preseason expectations.
Gilbert Arenas and Michael Wright scored 16 points apiece
Saturday as the Wildcats won their sixth in a row with an
80-52 rout of Texas (No. 23 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP), the Longhorns' worst loss of the
season.
|  | | Arizona's Loren Woods went 4-for-16, but managed 10 points in the Wildcats' win. |
Arizona coach Lute Olson said the margin surprised him.
"That's a good team," he said. "Our defense did not let them
look like a good team."
The Wildcats (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP, 14-5), the preseason No. 1 team, are 4-0 since
Olson came back following the death of his wife.
"We're getting there," he said. "I don't think we're anywhere
near where we need to be yet offensively, but it's a whole lot
better than it was a month ago."
Richard Jefferson added 13 points for the Wildcats (14-5), while
Loren Woods scored 10 despite 4-for-16 shooting. Wright and
Jefferson had nine rebounds apiece.
Texas (15-5) shot just 31 percent from the field (22-for-70).
"The key for us defensively today was pressure on the point
guard," Olson said. "They're a young team. We just didn't want to
give them any room to do what they wanted to do."
The 28-point loss surpassed the 95-69 blowout of the Longhorns
by Duke Nov. 22 in the semifinals of the preseason NIT.
"A good word is poise," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "We
don't stay poised on offense. You expect a team like Arizona to
take away your first option, then you go to the next option and
next option. What you don't do is say `What am I going to do here?'
and put your head down and take off and no one knows what's going
on."
Arizona shot out to a 21-6 lead. Texas got with in seven late in
the first half, but Jason Gardner banked in a 50-footer at the
halftime buzzer, then the Wildcats ran away in the second half to
lead by as many as 29.
"I think the key was picking it up on the defensive end,"
Gardner said. "We really made them work hard, and we tried to stay
on them. We are still trying to find ourselves. To beat Texas like
that is a big confidence boost."
Chris Owens had 19 points and 17 rebounds for Texas but was
8-for-25 from the field. Maurice Evans added 11 points. Darren
Kelly scored 10 but made only four of 15 shots.
Texas lost on the road twice this week -- at Oklahoma and Arizona
-- and is 3-5 away from home this season.
Gardner's big shot gave Arizona a 34-24 lead at the break, then
the Wildcats outscored 27-9 over the first 10½ minutes of the
second half.
"They played good defense," Owens said. "They were in the
passing lanes all day."
Texas, which started the game 3-for-19, made just two of its
first 16 shots in the second half.
"The thing is we don't have a flow to our offense," Owens
said. "As a team, we don't understand who is going to get a shot
and who is playing a role. I don't know."
Evans' tip-in to open the second half and cut Arizona's lead to
34-26.
Wright scored inside to ignite a 17-4 run that included a steal
and breakaway stuff by Arenas. Wright's rebound basket capped the
outburst and put the Wildcats ahead 51-30 with 12:58 to play.
Luke Walton sank a 10-footer to make it 61-33 with 9:23 to go.
The Wildcats' biggest lead was 66-37 after Arenas made two free
throws with 7:55 to go.
The Longhorns used a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 31-24 on Kelly's
3-pointer with three seconds left in the half.
But Gardner took the inbounds pass and let fly from in front of
press row. The ball banked cleanly through, Gardner calmly shook
his fist, and Arizona had a double-digit lead again.
Texas went scoreless in a 7:04 stretch in the first half and was
without a field goal for 6:19 in the second.
Owens had eight points and 10 rebounds in the first half but was
just 3-for-12 from the field.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Texas Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Gilbert Arenas throws down the alley-oop from Luke Walton.
avi: 910 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Loren Woods with the spin move and monster dunk for the Wildcats.
avi: 774 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Gilbert Arenas gets the steal then throws it down at the other end.
avi: 718 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Arizona's Richard Jefferson gets the shot to drop after the hard foul.
avi: 815 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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