Jan. 15, 1998
Arizona Beats ASU, Breaks Records
By MEL REISNERAP Sports Writer
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Fifth-ranked Arizona set a Pac-10 record for points in a game and ran up the most points ever on Arizona State with a 127-99 win Thursday night.
Mike Bibby scored 23 points, Miles Simon had 22, Michael Dickerson 20 and Jason Terry 17 as the Wildcats won their seventh straight.
Arizona, averaging 103.7 points in the streak, surpassed the conference record for points in a game shared by UCLA (1964 vs. Washington) and Arizona State (1988 vs. Washington).
But the Wildcats' firepower was expected. Hidden in the box score was the work of inside players who wore out the Sun Devils in the first half, rarely gave them a second chance after a missed shot and ran up a 46-26 edge in rebounding.
Bennett Davison had nine rebounds in 16 minutes, and A.J. Bramlett and Eugene Edgerson had seven each.
"We got 22 offensive rebounds, and that made for a lot of easy baskets," coach Lute Olson said.
Bramlett also scored 10 points in the first 5:17 of the second half, when Arizona (14-3, 5-0) broke away from a 63-44 halftime lead.
The Wildcats, who closed the first half with a 43-15 run, went on a 22-7 burst after halftime. Two baskets by Bramlett capped the surge at 85-51.
"Everybody had a nice effort," Bramlett said. "The guys outside were hitting it, and the post men were getting open. It was a lot like playing in a pick-up game."
Arizona State (12-6, 2-3) got 27 points from Mike Batiste. Jeremy Veal, the Pac-10's leading scorer, had 22 and Ahlon Lewis 16.
"The talent and the numerous things they do really wore us down," Batiste said. "But we're survivors. We have to get back in the hunt."
Arizona's point total was a record by an Arizona State opponent, surpassing Wichita State's 122-105 over the Sun Devils in 1968, and set a record for the McKale Center. But Arizona State's 99 points were the most scored on the Wildcats in 255 games.
The Wildcats have won five straight in the rivalry and are 14-1 against the Sun Devils in Tucson under Olson. Most of the games have been routs, with Arizona State's only win a 103-98 double overtime victory in 1995.
Last season, Arizona State had a six-point lead at halftime before faltering. This time, the collapse occurred in the first half.
Arizona State made 11 of its first 15 shots and opened a 26-17 lead on Bobby Lazor's three-point play.
After Jason Terry hit a 3-pointer, Batiste answered with one at the other end, and the Sun Devils led 29-20 with 12:22 remaining.
But ASU went 7-of-21 the rest of the half, and the Wildcats built their 19-point halftime lead.
"It was like two heavyweight fighters," Arizona State coach Don Newman said. "Both teams hit shot after shot. But the pace was way too high for us to sustain."
Bibby, who made 5-of-8 3-pointers and had eight assists, said the Wildcats were aware that Arizona State has only seven players on scholarship.
"We knew they weren't that deep, and it would be only a matter of time until they got tired," Bibby said.
Terry had 15 points at halftime, seven coming on three straight baskets in a 1:54 span late in the half. Bibby and Simon had 14 each.