PULLMAN — Brandon Ashley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Kaleb Tarczewski each scored 17 points as No. 7 Arizona routed Washington State 86-59 on Sunday night.
T.J. McConnell added 14 points for Arizona (22-3, 10-2 Pacific 12), which plays WSU only once this season. The Wildcats led by 34 points after the first half.
Dexter Kernick-Drew scored 20 points and DaVonte Lacy scored 18 for Washington State (11-14, 5-8), which was coming off a win over Arizona State on Thursday. The Cougars were done in by woeful shooting in the first half.
Arizona has won two straight after being upset by Arizona State. Arizona won the rebound battle 44-23 and outscored the Cougars in the paint 46-12.
The Wildcats came out strong in the first half and took control early.
McConnell had five points as the Wildcats jumped to an 18-8 lead over the cold-shooting Cougars.
Consecutive dunks by Ashley put Arizona up 26-12 at the midpoint of the first. Washington State made only 6 of 17 shots to open the game, and then got worse.
Hollis-Jefferson had three baskets and Tarczewski scored a basket and three free throws during a 15-0 run that put Arizona ahead 41-13. Washington State was scoreless for more than six minutes and its shooting percentage dropped into the 20s.
Washington State went more than eight minutes without a field goal before Que Johnson hit a short jumper to cut Arizona’s lead to 44-16. But Ashley, who had 13 points in the first, replied with a basket immediately to push Arizona’s lead to 30 points.
Arizona led 53-19 at halftime, after shooting 60 percent and out-rebounding the Cougars 30-9. They outscored the Cougars 26-6 in the paint.
Washington State shot just 27 percent in the first half, and the shooting woes were universal as they made just 1 of 11 3-pointers and 2 of 6 free throws.
Both teams shot well in the second half.
Lacy made his first two field goals of the game to open the second half, but Arizona kept scoring. McConnell hit a 3-pointer and followed with a steal and layup for a 61-25 lead.
Kernich-Drew sank four 3-pointers for WSU early in the second half, but the Cougars still trailed by 28. Arizona immediately pushed its lead back over 30, and the Cougars could not reduce the margin much despite shooting 63.6 percent in the second half. Arizona shot 53.8 percent in the second half.
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