OSU hoops season comes to an end

LIKE SO MANY that came before it, the game was not close. Arizona strode out to a Pac-10 Tournament record for points in the first half and OSU never threatened, with the Wildcats winning 87-56 in a contest that wasn't that close. The task now at hand is for Athletics Director Bob De Carolis to decide on a coach who can lead Oregon State back from the Pac-10 cellar.

Lathen Wallace scored 19 points to lead OSU while Marcel Jones logged 12 rebounds. The Beavs ended the year with 21 consecutive losses and without a win against Pac-10 foes.

Arizona set a tournament record for most points in a half, leading 59-21 at the break. The Wildcats quickly built leads of 23-4 and 40-12, dashing any early hopes OSU might have had for an upset.

The Beavers defense was virtually nonexistent in the first half, allowing Arizona to shoot 71 percent in the opening stanza to the Beavers' 27 percent.

For the game, UA shot 54 percent from the field, with Oregon State posting 33 percent.

The attention for the hoops program now turns to filling the head coaching position.

Interim coach Kevin Mouton is well liked by the players but doesn't appear to be in the running for a permanent head position as OSU showed little improvement in the box score after he took over for the dismissed Jay John in mid-season.