Notes: Dentmon shows off for mom

Stephanie Dentmon thought her son, Justin, would be nervous for the first big-time game of his college career.

But UW coach Lorenzo Romar knew better.

"He's a gamer," said Romar of Dentmon after the freshman point guard scored 13 second-half points to lead the Huskies to a 99-95 win over Gonzaga at Edmundson Pavilion on Sunday night.

Dentmon scored a career-high 17 points and also had six assists and just one turnover in 30 minutes in a game watched by his mother, who traveled from Carbondale, Ill., to watch it, in the process making the first plane flight of her life.

"He's fearless," marveled UW senior guard Brandon Roy.

It was Roy's foul trouble that led to Dentmon's starring role. Roy had foul trouble throughout and played just 21 minutes before fouling out with 2:20 left.

"When he went out I felt I had to step up," Dentmon said. He scored 11 points in the last 9:40 as the Huskies rallied after blowing an 11-point lead.

"I thought he would be scared but he wasn't," said Stephanie Dentmon. "But I expect that out of him because he just loves the game."

Romar waits for video

Romar said he couldn't wait to watch the video of a possession that led to his first technical foul since last February at Arizona State. Romar was livid after he thought Adam Morrison grabbed Ryan Appleby to steal the ball away and then score a layin, with UW then being called for a foul on the shot.

"I thought Adam Morrison just grabbed us," Romar said, adding that Morrison came over to the Huskies bench to tell Romar that "coach, I wasn't trying to be dirty."

Romar said "a lot of times I go back and look at the tape and I'm wrong. ... But I can't wait to go and watch the tape on that one."

Roy bedeviled

Roy had his own issues with the officiating. He had been looking forward to having a breakout game on a big stage. Instead, he played just 21 minutes after picking up three fouls in the first half and two more in the second.

"I thought all five were bad calls," Roy said.

Defensive switch

The Huskies began the game with a different defensive look than expected with Bobby Jones guarding Gonzaga point guard Derek Raivio.

Raivio burned UW for 21 points in Spokane last year.

"We wanted to go with a bigger guy on him and not let him get free," Romar said.

The move seemed to work early as Raivio had just two points, on free throws, before leaving with a back injury. Jones then guarded Adam Morrison much of the rest of the night.

Jensen set to return

Mike Jensen left the court at Edmundson Pavilion an hour before Washington's game with Gonzaga on Sunday night with a mix of emotions.

He had just concluded an hour-long workout that had him beaming about his possible return to the lineup as early as UW's game Dec. 16 against Eastern Washington.

"I'm a little ahead of schedule," said the senior forward, who has been sidelined all season after having surgery on his shoulder in October. "But I don't want to get too excited."

But as he left the court, Gonzaga's players dribbled onto it, getting ready for a game that Jensen dearly hated to miss.

But by game time, Jensen had showered and returned to the bench in street clothes, his work for the day done.

Jensen has been working out for about an hour either before or after practice for the last several weeks, sometimes alongside redshirting freshman Joe Wolfinger, as was the case Sunday.

"I'm just trying to stay in shape so I'll be in basketball mode when I come back," he said.

NOTES

• Gonzaga point guard Derek Raivio appeared to injure his back when he fell hard to the court after being fouled with 9 ½ minutes left in the first half. He left the court briefly and then returned to the bench briefly, then headed back to the locker room for the remainder of the half. Gonzaga's third-leading scorer at more than 16 a game, he had just two points — both free throws — at the half.

• Gonzaga's seven-game winning streak against UW coming in tied the longest for any Huskies nonconference foe since Washington lost seven in a row to Kansas State from 1954-65.

• Washington's deal with KJR for radio broadcasts expires after this season, and it's thought a new agreement could be reached in the next few weeks. KJR is considered a favorite to retain the rights. UW recently reached a deal with ISP Sports and Learfield Communications to oversee radio and TV rights, Web advertising and event sponsorships that will pay the athletic department $50 million over 10 years.

• Finally having a big game to prepare for also seemed to bring out the best in UW's Dawg Pack, the crew of students that sits behind the benches. They greeted Morrison with a cheer of "take a shower" while holding bars of soap.