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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- At this point, any win is a good win for
Arizona.
The Wildcats (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP), survived a scare and beat Butler 72-60 victory
Thursday night as Loren Woods scored 25 points.
The Bulldogs trailed 62-60 with 5:36 left in the game, but Woods
had three baskets as the Wildcats finished with a 10-0 run.
|  | | Eugene Edgerson, center, had eight rebounds for Arizona on Thursday. |
"Butler is a good basketball team," Arizona coach Lute Olson
said. "They have balance and good shooters. We knew that this was
going to be a battle, and it was a good opportunity."
Woods, who also had nine rebounds and led the Wildcats (7-3) to
a 44-22 advantage on the glass, thought his game was only fair as
he tries to play his way into shape after serving a six-game NCAA
suspension.
"I thought I played all right tonight," he said. "I'm trying
to get back into a rhythm. Most guys out there have played at least
10 games so far, and I've only played in four. I still have to work
hard to get to the point where I want to be."
Woods had 19 points in the second half to send Arizona to its
31st consecutive victory in the Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic, which
began in 1985 and has never had another champion.
"Tonight we focused on getting the ball down in the post,"
Michael Wright said. "Loren was able to really work underneath
with their smaller size."
The Wildcats will meet Mississippi State, a 90-80 winner over
Louisiana-Lafayette, in the championship game Saturday.
Wright had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Jason Gardner
scored 13 points for the erratic Wildcats (7-3), who have won only
four of their last seven games.
Butler (6-4) got 18 points from Ryan Hainje, but wasn't able to
keep its three-game winning streak alive against the first ranked
team it has faced since a 69-68 overtime loss to Florida in the
first round of the NCAA tournament last March.
"We're not afraid of anybody," Hainje said. "We come into
every game thinking we're going to win it."
Jordan LaVall and Joel Cornette had 10 points each for Butler.
The Wildcats used some stingy defense to pull away at the end.
The turning point came when Rob Walls, harassed by Richard
Jefferson on the baseline, threw the ball away to Gardner. At the
other end, Gardner hit a 3-pointer, and Arizona took a 69-60 lead
with 31 seconds to play.
Thirteen seconds later, Woods got the last of his three blocks
against Thomas Jackson, was fouled and made two free throws with
16.3 seconds to play.
Six of the game's 10 lead changes occurred in the first 4:12 of
the second half, when Hainje hit two jumpers 34 seconds apart for
35-34 and 37-36 Butler leads, and the 7-foot Woods responded with
layups.
"Our players felt as though we weren't given much chance to win
this, and I think they enjoyed the extra motivation," Butler coach
Thad Matta said.
Cornette dunked at the 3:36 mark, and Butler took its last lead,
39-38 as Wright made a layup 36 seconds later, and the Wildcats
stayed ahead.
The Wildcats, who fell behind by seven points against LSU in
their last game on Dec. 20, led from the start this time, but
couldn't put the Bulldogs away.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Butler Clubhouse
Arizona Clubhouse
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