• Box Score
  

Lisa Griffith scored a career-high 26 points and matched her own school record with seven 3-pointers as No. 20 the Wildcats beat Washington 96-85 for the first time at Washington since the two Pacific-10 Conference teams started playing each other in 1979.

``When you've never won some place to finally get that first win is a big deal,'' Griffith said.

``It was a long time coming,'' Arizona coach Joan Bonvicini said. ``I thought it would never end.''

Arizona tied a season high with nine three-pointers.

Angela Lackey added 24 points, and Felecity Willis had 15 for Arizona (14-2 overall, 3-1 Pac-10).

Loree Payne led Washington (5-11, 1-3) with 27 points, Megan Franza had 15, and Melissa Erickson and Emily Autrey each had 11.

The Huskies have lost six of their last seven.

Griffith's performance moved her into sixth place on Arizona's career points list.

``Lisa Griffith goes 7-of-10 from three-point range and that was the difference in the ball game,'' Washington coach June Daugherty said.

``With the type of defense we play, we're going to give up some threes,'' Payne said. ``She happened to be hitting them today.''

Arizona's career leader in three-pointers made, Griffith had twice previously connected on seven trey's in a game, most recently at California on March 1, 1997.

``As soon as I got into the shoot-around today I felt I was going to have a good game,'' Griffith said.

``They were leaving our guards open and they were hitting their shots,'' Lackey said.

Arizona led by as many as 17 points midway through the second half before Washington made one last charge.

Washington twice closed within eight points, the final time on Ericksons' two free throws with 1:36 remaining, but got no closer.

Arizona had 13 steals and forced 28 Washington turnovers.