Wildcats pick apart Eastern
TUCSON, Ariz. – The best thing about Eastern Washington University’s 79-45 loss to Arizona on Tuesday? There’s not much time to think about it.
Rather than dwell on their seventh straight defeat, and the most lopsided one so far this season, the Eagles (2-9) must regroup quickly and try to get out of the desert with a two-game split when they face Butler at 3 p.m. Thursday in the consolation game of the Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic.
“It’s really nice, definitely, being able to recover and come right back,” said sophomore forward Paul Butorac, who came off the bench to lead EWU with 11 points. “The quicker you have to come back from a game like this … you don’t want to wait a week to come back and play.”
The sellout crowd of 14,535 at the McKale Center, the prowess of 14th-ranked Arizona (9-3), the Wildcats’ defensive intensity – all of it spelled a long night for the Eagles. Before they could break a sweat Arizona had recorded five of its 15 steals and led 14-4.
Following a strong effort in its 83-73 loss to Gonzaga last week, EWU looked more like the team that lost 89-56 at Washington earlier this month, thanks to 15 first-half turnovers and 25 for the game.
“You take away all those turnovers … it was like they scored on every one of them,” said EWU junior guard Kenny Smith, who was 5 for 11 from the field for 10 points while the other four starters combined to make 7 of 25 shots.
Arizona was using its 11th man on the roster midway through the first half. Arizona’s reserves outscored the Eagles’ starters 35-30.
“It was obviously a case of too much depth and too much quickness for Eastern Washington to handle,” Arizona coach Lute Olson said.
EWU shot a season-low 32.7 percent, 28.6 percent in the second half. Eagles coach Mike Burns said his team had early opportunities to score, but Arizona’s defensive pressure quickly took his players out of their game.
“We told our guys before the game they’re going to come out, pressure us and try and make us shoot quickly,” Burns said. “There were a couple of possessions early in the game where we made four or five passes and got layups, but most of the time we couldn’t get to that fourth or fifth pass very often. And because of that we got baited into taking quick shots, and when you lose your poise, that’s what happens.”
Butler (5-4), which lost to Richmond (5-4) in the early game, averages more than 24 3-point attempts per game.
Arizona 79, EWU 45
Eastern Washington (2-9)–Bekkering 2-5 2-2 7, Axton 3-12 0-0 7, Beitinger 1-3 1-2 3, Smith 5-11 0-1 10, Pariseau 1-5 0-0 3, Scheffler 1-3 0-0 3, Henkel 0-3 0-0 0, Butorac 4-8 2-2 11, Loe 0-2 0-0 0, McCulloch 0-0 0-2 0, Nicholas 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 17-52 6-11 45.
Arizona (9-2)–Fox 1-1 0-0 2, Adams 5-9 3-4 13, Frye 7-11 2-3 16, Rodgers 3-6 0-0 8, Shakur 2-5 0-0 5, McClellan 2-4 1-4 6, Dillon 2-4 0-1 5, Stoudamire 2-3 4-4 9, Verdejo 1-2 5-6 8, Radenovic 1-3 1-2 3, Brase 0-2 0-0 0, Brielmaier 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 28-52 16-24 79.
Halftime—Arizona 39-23. 3-Point goals—Eastern Washington 5-16 (Bekkering 1-1, Butorac 1-1, Pariseau 1-2, Scheffler 1-3, Axton 1-5, Beitinger 0-1, Smith 0-1, Henkel 0-2), Arizona 7-16 (Rodgers 2-3, McClellan 1-2, Dillon 1-2, Stoudamire 1-2, Verdejo 1-2, Shakur 1-3, Adams 0-1, Brase 0-1). Fouled out—Bekkering. Rebounds—Eastern Washington 30 (Butorac 6), Arizona 35 (McClellan 6). Assists—Eastern Washington 9 (Pariseau 3), Arizona 19 (Adams 5). Total fouls—Eastern Washington 22, Arizona 16. A—14,535.