Simon Makes Grade in Arizona Return

Returning to Arizona’s lineup at midseason was nothing special to guard Miles Simon.

What was special was Simon’s 18-point, seven-assist, four-rebound effort Saturday that lifted the seventh-ranked Wildcats to a 92-84 Pacific 10 Conference victory over Arizona State at Tempe, Ariz.

Simon, the top returning scorer and rebounder from last season’s 26-7 team, sat out Arizona’s first 11 games because of poor grades.

“There were no butterflies,” Simon said. “I just wanted to get out there, have fun and do what I could to contribute.”

Simon scored nine points during a 30-16 run that put Arizona, 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the Pac-10, in command at 87-71 with 5:43 left.

“I don’t think we win this game without Miles,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said. “He showed how valuable he is.”

Arizona also got a career-high 32 points from forward Michael Dickerson, the Pac-10’s leading scorer with a 22.8 average, and a 16-point, 13-rebound performance from forward Bennett Davison, last season’s California junior college player of the year at West Valley in Saratoga.

Forward Michael Batiste had 25 points and center Rodger Farrington had 22 for Arizona State (9-6, 1-2). Only six of Batiste’s points came in the second half.

Washington 78, No. 17 Oregon 77--Seven-foot center Todd MacCulloch scored on a layup with four seconds left and blocked guard Kenya Wilkins’ shot as time ran out for the Huskies (9-3, 2-2) at Seattle.

Last season, MacCulloch blocked a late three-point attempt by Wilkins in Washington’s 72-69 victory at Eugene, Ore.

Guard Jamal Lawrence had given the Ducks (10-2, 1-2) a 77-76 lead with 10 seconds left with his fifth three-point basket of the second half. He finished with 27 points.

MacCulloch had 19 points, making all eight of his shots, and 10 rebounds though playing only 17 minutes because of foul trouble. Forward Mark Sanford had 21 points.

Washington led, 37-32, at halftime despite not scoring a basket the final nine minutes, getting off only six shots in that span.

Washington State 80, Oregon State 64--Forward Carlos Daniel scored a career-high 21 points and had 13 rebounds for the Cougars (10-5, 2-2) at Spokane, Wash.

Freshman-laden Oregon State had a miserable first half in which it scored only 15 points, missed 19 of 25 shots and had 14 turnovers. The Beavers (4-8, 0-3) have lost 14 consecutive road games.