MBB: Wilcox's 24 leads Washington past Oregon 76-60

SEATTLE (AP) -- Moved to a reserve role for the start of Pac-12 Conference play, Washington guard C.J. Wilcox responded by matching his career-high with 24 points, and the Huskies improved to 2-0 to start the conference season with a 76-60 win over Oregon on Saturday night.

Wilcox was shuttled to the bench earlier this week as a way to get freshman Tony Wroten and 7-footer Aziz N'Diaye in the starting lineup together. Wilcox still came through with his highest point total since scoring 24 last season against UCLA. He scored 13 during a key second-half run for Washington (8-5, 2-0 Pac-12) after the Ducks had trimmed a double-digit deficit down to four.

E.J. Singler led Oregon (10-4, 1-1) with 20 points, 13 coming in the first half. But the Ducks shot just 32 percent.

In his first game coming off the bench this season on Thursday night, Wilcox ended up playing 30 minutes and finished with 15 points. He was even more dynamic on Saturday, matching his career-high with six 3-pointers and leading four Huskies in double figures.

Wroten added 17 points, five assists and four rebounds, while Abdul Gaddy added 12 points and Terrance Ross had 11, and Washington shot nearly 54 percent.

But it was Wilcox taking and making the important shots after Oregon made the night uncomfortable.

Washington led 47-36 when a backcourt dustup between Wroten and Oregon's Olu Ashaolu resulted in double technicals for Ashaolu and Washington's Darnell Gant. The technical also proved to be the start of Oregon's final surge as the Ducks scored eight of the next nine points to pull within 48-44 after consecutive easy baskets for Singler.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar called timeout and after the teams exchanged turnovers, Wilcox connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to put the lead back to 54-46. Even after a timeout, the run continued with Wilcox scoring on a left-handed baseline drive and Ross hitting a crossover, step-back 3 to give the Huskies a 59-46 lead. Wilcox added another baseline basket and Gaddy capped the run with an open 3-pointer from the wing to give the Huskies their biggest lead to that point at 64-49 with 7:59 left.

Washington improved to 9-1 at home against the Ducks in Romar's tenure.

Oregon was trying for a 2-0 conference start after knocking off Washington State on Thursday night. It didn't help that leading scorer Devoe Joseph couldn't make anything. Joseph came in averaging 14.7 points for the Ducks, but made just 1 of 13 shots with his one basket coming midway through the first half. It was a theme throughout the Oregon lineup as the Ducks got plenty of looks from the perimeter, but couldn't make Washington pay for slow defensive rotations. The Ducks were just 5 of 23 on 3-pointers after coming in as a 36 percent 3-point-shooting team. .

Ashaolu, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds against Washington State, was limited to six points and 12 rebounds. It got so bad for the Ducks that Carlos Emory couldn't convert a breakaway dunk attempt with 2 minutes left, losing his grip of the ball as he went up for the uncontested slam.

Washington led just 24-22 midway through the first half before a 12-2 flurry pushed the lead to double figures. It started with Simmons' deep jumper with his foot on the 3-point line and was followed by N'Diaye's block of Ashaolu at one end and Wroten finding Gaddy wide open under the basket for an easy layup at the other end.

Wilcox then sandwiched a pair of 3s around Wroten's driving layup off another Oregon turnover and the Huskies led 36-24.

Oregon's problem wasn't a lack of execution. Nine turnovers in the first half were a concern but the Ducks were just 2 of 14 on 3-point attempts, many of those on open looks. Singler made 4 of 9 shots in the first half, while the rest of the Ducks were a combined 7 for 25.

Source: http://www.king5.com/sports/MBB-Wilcoxs-24-leads-Washington-past-Oregon-76-60-136493468.html

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