November 19, 1998
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Freshman Kelly Komara sank a 3-pointer and a driving layup in the final 3:33 Thursday night as No. 1 Purdue escaped with a 65-58 victory over Arizona.
The Boilermakers (2-0), in trouble all night, outscored the Wildcats 8-2 over the last 2 1/2 minutes. Arizona didn't score in the last 2:03.
Stephanie White-McCarty struggled through a 7-for-19 shooting night but made a crucial 3-pointer with 2:23 to play to put the Boilermakers up 60-56. She also sank one of two free throws with 1:14 to go to make it 61-58 and hit two more with 5.2 seconds left to help seal the victory.
White-McCarty, who was 4-for-7 on 3-pointers but just 3-for-12 inside the arc, led Purdue with 23 points. Kamora came off the bench to score 12. Ukari Figgs scored 10 but was just 3-for-15 from the field.
Arizona (1-2) was led by Felicity Willis with 14 points. Elizabeth Pickney and Angela Lackey added 11 apiece. Purdue had vaulted to No. 1 by stunning three-time defending national champion Tennessee 78-68 on Sunday, snapping the Lady Volunteers' 46-game winning streak.
But after a numbing, delay-filled 15-hour trip west on Wednesday, the Boilermakers were anything but sharp in their first defense of their top ranking.
The Wildcats, who were ranked 21st in the pre-season but tumbled out of the list after a 72-48 loss at Nebraska, never trailed by more than seven and were even at 54-54 on Felicity Willis' breakaway layup with 4:02 to play.
Kamora's 3-pointer boosted the lead to 57-54 with 3:33 to go, but Angela Lackey cut it to 57-56 with two free throws with 3:15 to go. White-McCarty's 3-pointer boosted the lead to 60-56, and Tatum Brown scored inside for Arizona's last points, cutting the lead to 60-58 with 2:03 to go.
After White-McCarty's free throw increased the lead to three, Arizona's Lisa Griffith just missed a game-tying 3-pointer. The Boilermakers, who dominated the boards, got the rebound, Kamora was fouled and hit the two free throws that made it 63-58.
After leading by as many as seven, Purdue was up just 34-32 at the half. Arizona, buoyed by a small but loud crowd of 3,076 in its home opener, shot out to a 12-4 lead but went nearly five minutes without a point.
Meanwhile, the Boilermakers went on a 7-0 spurt, four on jumpers by freshman reserve Komara, to go up 27-20 with 5:48 left in the half. Purdue never trailed again.
By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer