TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Chris Rodgers tied his career high with 20 points, and Ivan Radenovic and Salim Stoudamire had 16 each to help No. 14 Arizona outlast stubborn Richmond 84-71 in the championship game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic on Thursday night.<br>
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The Wildcats improved to 39-1 in their holiday tournament, where they beat Richmond 95-68 in the first round 10 years ago - the only previous meeting between the teams.<br>
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Eastern Washington beat Butler 67-62 for the consolation title.<br>
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Radenovic had nine rebounds - one short of his career high - in 24 minutes, leading Arizona (10-2) to a 40-36 edge on the glass. Channing Frye had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Rodgers had a season high with seven rebounds. <br>
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Jamaal Scott had 16 points for Richmond (5-5), Courtney Nelson, the hero of the Spiders' win over Butler two nights earlier, had 14 in the second half, and Daon Merritt scored 11.<br>
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The Spiders shot a season-high 64 percent against Butler in a one-point victory, but Arizona's athletic defenders proved too much this time, limiting Richmond to 25.9 percent (7-of-27) in the first half and 38.6 percent (22-of-57) for the game.<br>
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Arizona shot only 44.3 percent (27-of-61), but made 13 3-pointers, had 14 steals and forced 24 turnovers.<br>
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The Wildcats overcame a spate of cold shooting sooner than Richmond, finished the first half with a 16-point lead and made their first six shots in the second.<br>
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The Spiders battled back briefly, helped by a five-point play with 17:57 left.<br>
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Scott made a layup and was fouled by Radenovic, who also was assessed a technical. Jermaine Bucknor made two technical free throws and Scott's free throw cut Richmond's deficit to 50-35.<br>
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But Rodgers made two 3-pointers in the next 2:05, and the Wildcats took a 64-40 lead when Stoudamire made two foul shots after a technical on Merritt.<br>
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Their biggest lead was 71-46, on a 3-pointer by Jawann McClellan with 9 minutes to go, and the Spiders never got closer than the final margin.<br>
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Both teams missed seven of their first nine shots, and Arizona didn't get the lead until Frye made a layup with 12:58 remaining in the first half. That made it 10-8 early in a 21-3 run - tied for Arizona's third-best of the year.<br>
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Rodgers finished with a 3-pointer, sending the Wildcats to a 27-11 lead with 7:08 to go.<br>
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The Spiders answered with a 10-0 run, closing within six points on a free throw by Merritt with 4:57 left before Stoudamire broke the spell with a 3-pointer. In the final 4:05, Radenovic had six points, finishing with 14 at the half, and Arizona moved ahead 42-26 on a three-point play by Frye with 4.7 seconds left.
