March 6, 1999
SEATTLE (AP) - Todd MacCulloch had season-high 32 points and 15 rebounds as Washington made its final argument for a berth in the NCAA tournament with an 76-59 victory over Washington State Saturday. The Huskies secured sole possession of fourth place in the Pac-10 in their final game at Hec Edmunson Pavilion before a $39 million renovation to the arena, which was built in 1927. Deon Luton added 20 points and Donald Watts 12 for Washington (17-11, 10-8 Pac-10), which lost in January to the Cougars in Pullman. Kojo Mensah-Bonsu scored 11 points, while Jan-Michael Thomas and Leif Nelson scored 10 apiece for Washington State (10-19, 4-14), which lost its fourth in a row. MacCulloch, a 7-foot senior from Winnipeg, took over sole possession of third place on Washington's career scoring list with 1,732 points. He was 12-for-17 from the floor. The Huskies will find out their fate - another NCAA Tournament bid or an NIT invitation - Sunday. Last year, the Huskies finished fourth in conference, earned one of the final at-large bids to the tournament, and advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Connecticut 75-74. Next season the Huskies will play their home games at Key Arena, the home of the NBA Seattle Sonics, while Hec Edmundson is renovated. |
