Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Arizona 71, Washington 62
When: 2:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 4, 2014
Where: McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona
Officials: # Eric Curry, # Gregory Nixon, # Gerry Pollard
Attendance: 14545


No. 1 Arizona 71, Washington 62: Nick Johnson scored a career-high 24 points, including five dunks, as the host Wildcats rallied from a six-point second-half deficit to remain undefeated.

Freshman Aaron Gordon finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for Arizona (15-0, 2-0 Pac-12), which should be No. 1 for a fifth consecutive week when the polls are released on Monday. It was the fifth double-double of the season for Gordon.

C.J. Wilcox led Washington (9-6, 1-1) with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists while Perris Blackwell added 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Huskies fell to 2-28 all-time when facing top-ranked teams.

Washington jumped out to an early five-point lead thanks to back-to-back baskets by Wilcox and didn't trail until Rondae Hollis-Jefferson capped an 8-2 run with a dunk to give the Wildcats a 16-15 lead. Arizona looked like it might pull away as it quickly extended its lead to six points, but the Huskies closed the half with a 12-4 run to take a 35-33 halftime lead as the Wildcats missed their final seven shots from the floor.

The Huskies extended their lead to 42-36 on a 3-point play by Nigel Williams-Goss early in the second half and led 52-51 with 10 minutes to go after a pair of free throws by Blackwell. But back-to-back dunks by Gordon and Johnson keyed a 9-3 run for the Wildcats over the next five minutes, and Washington was unable to regain the lead down the stretch.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Wilcox has scored at least 15 points in 18 consecutive games. ... The 15-0 start is the second best in school history for the Wildcats, trailing only a 16-0 start in 1931-32. ... Arizona trailed at halftime for the fifth time this season.

Top Game Performances
 
Washington   Arizona
C.J. Wilcox 20 Scoring Nick Johnson 24
Andrew Andrews 5 Assists T.J. McConnell 6
Perris Blackwell 12 Rebounds Aaron Gordon 11
Desmond Simmons 3 Free Throws Made Nick Johnson 7
Andrew Andrews 2 Steals T.J. McConnell 4
Shawn Kemp Jr. 1 Blocks Brandon Ashley 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Washington 62 41.7 2-12 10-12 13 30 1 5 15
Arizona 71 42.1 2-9 21-26 15 34 4 10 11