Basketball Notebook | In 16 minutes, reserve Wolfinger makes his case

TUCSON, Ariz. — Just to make sure sophomore center Joe Wolfinger hadn't been feeling left out, Washington coach Lorenzo Romar gathered him for a little talk a short time ago.

"He came up to me because I haven't been playing at all and said, 'We still believe in you. We still know what you can do,' " Wolfinger said.

Wolfinger finally got a chance to justify that belief — and make a case for more playing time in the future — with 11 points in 16 minutes Saturday against the Arizona Wildcats.

The performance by the 7-foot, 250-pound center was one of the few bright spots for the Huskies in an 84-69 loss to Arizona.

"Tonight he got an opportunity and he made the most of it," said Romar of Wolfinger, who hit 5 of 9 shots and had six rebounds.

Wolfinger had played just four minutes in UW's six previous Pac-10 games, rooted to the bench because of what the coaches felt were some defensive liabilities.

"My defense isn't really there where it needs to be, in terms of my footwork," Wolfinger said. "People can go right around me pretty easy. But I've been working on that."

But when Jon Brockman got in early foul trouble Saturday, Romar decided to go with Wolfinger, whose outside shooting ability also helps open up the floor a little bit.

"Their big guys were just hanging in the paint," Romar said. "But you've got to guard him or he's going to make a basket."

Wolfinger's last significant action came when he started against Pittsburgh on Dec. 8.

But the defensive problems sent him to the bench, and he had barely played since.

Wolfinger said the inactivity has been frustrating — and he was heartened by Romar's recent words of encouragement. But he says not to worry, that he hasn't been left wondering if there might be greener pastures elsewhere; he said he's at UW for the long haul.

"I'm going to keep working hard," he said. "I'm not going to give up and waste my life doing something crazy or something. I'm just staying positive."

Whistles on alert

The Huskies were called for 20 fouls — the sixth time this year they've had that many — including 12 in the first half as the officiating crew appeared to be keeping tight wraps on the game.

"They put their pressure on us so much by driving the ball, and we reacted late, and when you react late you end up pushing," Romar said.

Guard Ryan Appleby said the officials "made calls you don't normally get on the road."

NOTE

• Brockman's six rebounds were his fewest this season other than the Portland game, in which he had five. His streak of double-doubles ended at four.