Fogg's 26 points lead Arizona past Arizona St

TEMPE, Ariz. – Kyle Fogg hit six 3-pointers and matched a career high with 26 points, helping No. 15 Arizona grind out a 67-52 win over rival Arizona State on Sunday.

Arizona (21-4, 10-2 Pac-10) didn't shoot particularly well against Arizona State's zone — 40 percent — and leading scorer Derrick Williams was held to just 11 points. The Wildcats made up for it with a hounding defense and big contributions from Fogg, a 7.9-point scorer on the season, and Jesse Perry, who scored all of his 10 points in the second half.

Arizona State (9-15, 1-11) played gritty defense, blocking a season-high nine shots, but couldn't find many seams in Arizona's man-to-man defense while losing its 10th straight conference game.

Jamelle McMillan had 12 points, but the Sun Devils shot 37 percent. Leading scorers Trent Lockett and Ty Abbott combined for 17 points on 6-of-23 shooting.

Arizona State had gotten the better of this in-state rivalry in recent years, winning six of seven before this season, and was supposed to be the team on the rise after finishing second in the Pac-10 a year ago.

How quickly things change.

Arizona turned it around faster than anyone thought to climb back to its familiar place atop the Pac-10 and the Sun Devils went on a downward spiral to the bottom of the standings.

Arizona State has been hampered by injuries and illness, making it hard sometimes to practice, much less play games. The Sun Devils entered Sunday's rivalry with one win since New Year's Day, though four of their losses have been by four points or less.

The Wildcats, after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years last season, have become the team to beat in the Pac-10. Arizona won the first meeting with Arizona State by 11 on Jan. 15 in Tucson behind Williams' career-high 31 points, and had eight days to rest up after needing three overtimes to beat California in its last game.

Williams had just 12 points — with 18 rebounds — against the Bears, but Lamont Jones had a breakout game with a career-high 27 points and big shots at the end of regulation and during the final two overtime periods. Kevin Parrom also set a career high with 25 points.

This time it was Fogg's turn to give Arizona a lift.

The junior guard hit a pair of 3-pointers to score 10 points in the first 6½ minutes and added another late to put the Wildcats up 33-24 by halftime.

Arizona State opened the second half with three turnovers in five possessions and didn't score until Kyle Cain hit a little turnaround 3½ minutes in. Arizona opened with a 3-pointer and three-point play by Perry, then Fogg knocked down his fourth 3, putting the Wildcats up 43-24.

Arizona State wasn't quite done, following with a 10-0 run, but it turned out to be its last gasp.

Williams powered his way to a couple of hoops and Fogg hit a couple more as Arizona gradually pulled away over the final 7 minutes to sweep the season series.