TUCSON, Ariz. — In the end, the difference between the two best teams in the Pac-10 Conference appeared to be about four feet, nine inches.

While the Washington Huskies were forced to shoot primarily three-pointers thanks to an Arizona zone defense that grew more suffocating as the game wore on, the Wildcats kept getting to the free throw line.

And eventually, the Huskies couldn't connect from 19 feet, nine inches with a hand in their face as easily as the Wildcats could from 15 feet uncontested.

Arizona hit 38-of-40 free throws — the most ever against a UW team — while Washington was making just 13-of-34 three-pointers — the most the Huskies have ever attempted.

And that proved the difference as Arizona beat the Huskies 91-82 in front of a raucous 14,597 at the McKale Center here last night to take the opening game of what could be a three-set match to determine Pac-10 supremacy.

Arizona (17-3 overall) took over the Pac-10 lead at 7-1 while UW (16-3) fell to 6-2. The two teams will meet again Feb. 26 in Seattle and could also face each other in the Pac-10 Tournament.

"We're definitely going to get them back when they come back to Seattle," said UW guard Tre Simmons. "There's no doubt in my mind."

Arizona, however, had similar payback on its mind last night after having lost three times to the Huskies a year ago.

"They were definitely not going to beat us four straight times," said Arizona freshman guard Jawaan McClellan. "That just wasn't going to happen."

JOHN MILLER / AP Arizona's Salim Stoudamire (20) puts everything he has in his drive past Washington's Nate Robinson (2) during the second half.

The Huskies spread the wealth in the first half — all nine players who saw action scored — and the game was as close as it was at halftime mostly because Arizona hit 17-of-18 free throws.

But Arizona scored the last four points of the first half and then outscored UW 13-3 to start the second half to change the momentum of the game.

"We kind of forced some things and they got into a rhythm and then for some reason we couldn't knock shots down," said UW coach Lorenzo Romar.

Romar, however, said he had little problem with the number of three-point attempts, which was largely a function of Arizona's 1-3-1 zone defense that dared the Huskies to shoot from the outside. Arizona had largely employed the same strategy in all three meetings against UW last year as well.

"If you get good looks and just can't put them down, it's hard to complain," Romar said.

Arizona guard Salim Stoudamire, however, said the Huskies finally fell for the trap set by Arizona's zone.

"We knew they wouldn't be patient," he said. "We knew if we could get to them, they would force shots."

Romar also had little argument about the officiating, saying he thought his team "was a little too aggressive, a bit anxious at times" on defense.

Some of his players, however, were a little more skeptical as UW was called for 26 fouls to Arizona's 17.

"If you're not able to be just a little bit physical with them, you're going to be in trouble," said UW guard Brandon Roy, who played his best game since returning from knee surgery with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes. "I'm not saying the refs cheated us, but they kind of took us out of what we do well (pressuring on the perimeter)."

The main beneficiary of that was Stoudamire. The mercurial senior, who is finally playing consistently at an All-American form, had a game-high 25 points, including 9-of-9 from three free throw line.

Just as important was the play of Arizona senior center Channing Frye, who scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half as the Wildcats outscored UW 51-35 in the final 20 minutes, and 19-9 in the final 6:20.

"Great game by both teams," said Arizona coach Lute Olson. "There was an unbelievable intensity the whole time."

UW, struggling to get the ball inside or fast break much, shot just 11-of-34 from the field in the second half — 6-of-20 from the three-point line — and finished the game at 27-of-70 overall, 38.6 percent, the second-lowest percentage of the season. The only lower percentage came against WSU last Sunday (35.9 percent).

"The toughest team won tonight," Stoudamire said.

And maybe Arizona was also the most hungry. The Wildcats suffered through a 20-10 campaign a year ago that Olson said "was a wakeup call for the whole program."

But Arizona looked like the Wildcats of old last night. "Salim is playing at a very high level and as a result, their chemistry is very high right now," Romar said.

As the game ended, Arizona players celebrated with an enthusiasm that made it clear they felt they'd really done something, a sight not lost on the Huskies.

"That shows something if they are chest bumping for beating Washington," Roy said.

Roy, however, talked of the series evolving into a healthy rivalry. And as players for both teams passed in the hallway afterward while talking to reporters, many stopped to again shake hands.

Stoudamire and UW guard Will Conroy, friends from their childhood days in Portland, even appeared to be exchanging phone numbers after having traded banter on-court all night.

"He won tonight so I'm quiet," Conroy said. "I'm a mouse. But he knows he still has to come north."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com