Jan. 13, 2000

Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash.

-- The Arizona Wildcats battled back from an early 13-point deficit to beat Washington State 83-68 in Pacific-10 women's basketball action at Friel Court Thursday.

Tatum Brown made nine-of-11 from the field for a team-high 18 points in the Wildcats' win (13-2 overall, 2-1 Pac-10). Lisa Griffith got 12 of her 14 points from behind the three point arc while Tysell Bozeman came off the bench to score 12 points.

The Cougars (3-10, 0-3) lost despite 23 points from Alke Dietel and 17 from Yvonne Volkman. Jen Kerns had 11 points for WSU.

Early on the Cougars looked ready to run toward their first league win. In just over four minutes WSU amassed 17 points while allowing only four to lead by 13 points at 15:51.

By the twelve minute mark, Arizona cut the lead to five points, 17-12. At 1:43 LaKeisha Taylor made a layup to compliment a Griffith steal and the score was tied at 36. A Monika Crank three-pointer in the final seconds gave the Wildcats a 39-36 lead going into halftime.

In the second half it was all Arizona. After a Volkman layup brought WSU within one, 41-40, Griffith knocked down two treys to lead the Wildcats on a 6-0 run.

A Dietel jumper at 13:13 got the Cougars back to within two, but WSU could get no closer. At 7:39 Arizona started a 9-0 run that put WSU away. Kerns hit a three-pointer to stop the streak with 4:40 left, but the Cougars trailed 73-61.

The Wildcats aided WSU's comeback hopes with poor free throw shooting, knocking down only 17-of-31, but still won by 15.

"We need to build on this so that the product you see Saturday is direct evidence of what happened tonight," said WSU head coach Jenny Przekwas.

The Cougars will face Arizona State Saturday at 3:00.