Behind 22 points from conference Player of the Year Derrick Williams, the No. 1 seed Arizona Wildcats dispatched the No. 9 Oregon St. Beavers, 78-69, in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Pac-10 Basketball Tournament at Staples Center. It was the second win in three games for the Wildcats against the Beavers this season, as the two teams each won at home in the regular season. Arizona will face No. 4 seed USC, who beat Cal today 70-56, tomorrow night in the semifinals.
Williams made eight of his 12 field goal attempts on the night, including five of six from three-point range. Williams has had an incredible season shooting from beyond the arc, making 34 of 54 threes, a blistering 63.0%. Williams also pulled down seven boards. Solomon Hill nearly had a double-double for the Wildcats, with nine points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes.
The Beavers lost the game, and their composure. Forward Joe Burton was ejected with 10:25 remaining in the game for throwing a punch to the face of Arizona's Kevin Parrom. Jared Cunningham led Oregon St. with 23 points, while Ahmad Starks chipped in with 17.
Arizona and USC tipz off Friday night at 6 p.m. PST, the first of two semifinal matchups. The two schools each won at home against one another this season. The next quarterfinal game tonight will pit the No. 2 UCLA Bruins against the No. 7 Oregon Ducks, in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff.
For more Pac-10 Conference Tournament news and updates, be sure to stay tuned to this StoryStream. For more news on each specific team, be sure to read the SB Nation blogs Arizona Desert Swarm and Building The Dam.