Bad night in Pullman

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

from the desk of Dan Price

Arizona shot just 34 percent from the field (25 of 72)  to Washington State in Pullman tonight and lost 73-70.

It was a carbon copy of the Wildcats' loss at Stanford last month -- a cold shooting first half, a struggle at the free throw line (13 of 21), and the lack of anyone on the perimeter who can make a basket other than Caleb Love, who finished the night with 28 points.

The 8th-ranked Wildcats lost to a team that will be lucky enough to play the postseason in the National Invitational Tournament.

It's a show Arizona fans have seen so many times before. With a lofty national ranking, the Wildcats headed north to the state of Washington to tangle with a foe that'll undoubtedly spend most of the regular season fighting to keep out of the Pac-12 Conference cellar.

It's below zero outside and inside the referees...well, the referees are blinded by the cold.

Sometimes, things are just too hard to explain. Kylan Boswell plays 25 minutes, doesn't score, doesn't capture a rebound, and dishes out zero assists. Oumar Ballo does get a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, but at times is a liability on the court.

Still, the Wildcats, with all the above going against them, come back from a dismal 30-point effort in the first half and have a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Love's long-range shot clangs off the rim, and the Cougars have their upset win to improve to 12-5 overall...and for the moment, are midway up the ladder in the Pac-12 Conference with a 3-3 record.

Arizona, on the other hand, falls to 12-4 and 3-2 in Pac-12 play.

And, yes. The Wildcats will fall out of the top 10 next week. The rankings do not matter. After all, it's the middle of January for goodness sake.