No. 14 Arizona vs. Eastern Washington ("Maintaining Momentum")

[Ben Hansen]

The big, fancy previews are set to make their return in time for Sunday's game against ASU and will be back every single Pac-10 game thereafter, but tonight is just another informed score prediction to get the game thread rolling.

<B>Hansen's Prediction:</B> Arizona 85, E. Wash. 67
<B>Record to Date:</B> 9-1 (.900)

<B>Player of the Game:</B> Hassan Adams, Arizona.
*<I>Please note that my Player of the Game picks are like curses so far this year.</I> My scores have been pretty good but oh man, these POG's have been brutal (Channing vs. Michigan; Salim vs. Utah).

Cats HAVE to keep the momentum they have going strong tonight or else all of the small-level excitment after the last couple games will disappear quickly. UA cannot afford to let up even one bit against EWU, not because it could lose (not likely) but because it's vital that the energy and momentum levels continue where they left off last week against Manhattan.

Bear Down and Beat EWU.

-Ben

[TopCat]

Arizona 75, Eastern Washington 60

Player of the game: Channing Frye.

EWU looks to me a lot like Manhattan, only they won't be stupid enough to try and run with us. I think Burns will try to take the air out of the ball and keep the score close.

Ultimately, if Frye avoids stupid early fouls, our front line will dominate and Channing will get the necessary goods for POG honors.

[PointGuardU03]

U of A 73
EWU 55

POG: Salim with 18+

[PointGuardU03]

Here's Yahoo's game preview:

Arizona coach Lute Olson believes that Salim Stoudamire's attitude problems have been corrected.

The 14th-ranked Wildcats try to remain unbeaten at home when they host Eastern Washington on Tuesday in the first round of the Fiesta Bowl Classic.

Stoudamire was benched by coach Lute Olson for a Dec. 18 win at Marquette because of an attitude detrimental to the team. Olson reinstated his senior guard and Stoudamire came through by nailing a career-high seven 3-pointers for 23 points in a 105-75 win over Manhattan last Tuesday.

"I wanted to have fun regardless of if I played good or not,'' Stoudamire said. "I wanted to go out and smile and have fun.''

Olson, who also suspended Stoudamire last season, thinks the enigmatic player's problems are behind him.


"Salim is a very nice young man and he needs to show it,'' Olson said.

Stoudamire's return helped Arizona break out of a minor offensive slump. The usually high-scoring Wildcats had averaged only 61.0 points in their previous three games.

Arizona (8-2), which is 5-0 at home, is 93-4 all-time when it scores more than 100 points, including a 56-0 mark under Olson.

The Wildcats' defense was nearly as impressive as the offense. Arizona forced a season-high 24 turnovers and came up with 16 steals, including point guard Mustafa Shakur's career-high six.

"Defensively, I think this is probably the best defensive team we've ever had,'' Olson said. "This could be our best defensive team with our quickness and our depth.''

Olson was also able to use his bench extensively with no Wildcat logging more than 24 minutes. The reserves will be a big factor again this week with Arizona set to play three games over the next six days, including Sunday's Pac-10 Conference opener against Arizona State.

Arizona is 37-1 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl Classic. The lone defeat came to Mississippi State in the 2000 final in a game Olson missed to be with his ailing wife.

Eastern Washington (2-8) has lost six straight after an 83-70 defeat at No. 13 Gonzaga last Tuesday. The Eagles allowed the Bulldogs to shoot 62 percent and have dropped four straight games by double digits.

"When you play teams like Gonzaga and Arizona, you have to try to limit the number of possessions they get and try to slow the tempo,'' Eastern Washington coach Mike Burns said. "We need to limit their transition baskets because they get after it and run as well as anybody in the country. So we have to be able to stop that.''

Marc Axton matched a career high with seven 3-pointers and scored 33 points to lead Eastern Washington, which became the first team to outrebound Gonzaga 30-29.

The Eagles are 1-7 all-time against ranked opponents.

Arizona and Eastern Washington have never met. The Wildcats are 95-32 all-time against Big Sky opponents and the Eagles are 12-60 against teams from the Pac-10.

[CatintheHeat]

Some nice ballhandling early in the game by Hassan. That's a good sign.

[budd1e_lee]

why did we just clear out for Ivan...

SAUCE with the steal

[CatintheHeat]

Fox is foul trouble again. Not even 6 minutes into the game and he receives his second foul and a bad one at that on an inbounds play.

[SCCat]

I only have the gametracker on, but is Hotsauce just everywhere on the defensive end? Think he has 3 steals 7 minutes in...

[budd1e_lee]

SALIM!!!!!!!!! with the MONSTER SWAT!!!!

[budd1e_lee]

I only have the gametracker on, but is Hotsauce just everywhere on the defensive end? Think he has 3 steals 7 minutes in...

lots of tipped balls by everyone, hassan has just been the beneficiary of a couple bounces, one was a picked pass out high

[CatintheHeat]

Arizona is going to have to close out on the 3-point shooters better. Other than that, their interior defense has been outstanding.

[TLzonafan]

http://www.ewu.edu/x355.xml

scroll down on that link for the link to eastern washington's radio coverage

[CatintheHeat]

Definitely Hassan's best game of the year

[budd1e_lee]

40+ inch vert just got blocked by Ivan "I cant get off the floor" Radenovic

[SCCat]

http://www.ewu.edu/x355.xml

scroll down on that link for the link to eastern washington's radio coverage

Thanks for the link TL!

[SCCat]

Congrats on your first collegiate points DD!

[budd1e_lee]

best lookin stroke Ive seen from dillon all year, looks like he has the ability to knock it down in rythym, great form now if he can get it consistent

[budd1e_lee]

staf leaves his feet for a steal, got beat then picked up a cheap foul.... he really needs to play smarter on the defensive end

[budd1e_lee]

somebody forgot to box out.... HOT DAMN!!!!!

[TLzonafan]

According to CBS gamecenter Fil Torres just entered the game :roll:

[CatintheHeat]

Zona's defense is relaxing a little at the end of the half. The help isn't coming from the weakside. Probably due to fatigue.

[budd1e_lee]

According to CBS gamecenter Fil Torres just entered the game :roll:
ROFL :roll: :fur:

[PointGuardU03]

Go get 'em Fil. I'm too lazy to go back and check, but did Salim or C-Rod start at 2.

[budd1e_lee]

trivia question from FSNAZ: Which Wildcat was the MVP of the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Classic?
they said it was Hassan, I was pretty sure it was Chris Rodgers, or maybe that was just the chapmionship game, he ame out and it was the first glimpse of his suffocating on ball defense, and I think he had like 17 in that game

[budd1e_lee]

Go get 'em Fil. I'm too lazy to go back and check, but did Salim or C-Rod start at 2.

rodgers, salim played 12 minutes in the first half

[ByJoveByJingle]

How awesome is that? The scrubs extend the lead and give us another 30 point win!!

[PointGuardU03]

I didn't even watch the game and it came off as boring as all hell.

[PointGuardU03]

It sounds like I missed a terrific first game. Richmond 69, Butler 68. Courtney Nelson drove the length of the court and scored the game-winning lay-up with 3 seconds left for the right to get run by AZ on Thursday.

[SnowCat]

These game threads have been kind of lame since the guy who started the game threads had his signature contribution usurped. Any clues??