11/13/2011

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Kyle Fogg scored 19 points, Solomon Hill added 16 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 16 Arizona pulled away late to beat Ball State 73-63 on Sunday.

Jarrod Jones matched his career high with 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Cardinals, who in their season opener dominated the game until the Wildcats clamped on a tight defense in the second half.

Kevin Parrom, playing for the first time after being shot in the leg and hand during a trip home to New York City in September, sank a crucial 3-pointer to cap a 15-5 run that cut Ball State's lead to 47-46 with 12:07 remaining.

Arizona (3-0) outscored the Cardinals 22-8 over the final 6:40.

Parrom drew a standing ovation from the McKale Center capacity crowd when he entered the game early in the first half.

Jauwon Scaife added 14 and Jesse Berry 11 for Ball State. Freshman Nick Johnson scored 10 for Arizona.

Arizona dominated the game at the foul line, taking 30 more free throws than the visitors. The Wildcats were 31 of 43 to Ball State's 6 of 13.

The Wildcats used defense to get back in the game, drawing an offensive foul and forcing a five-second call on consecutive Ball State possessions after the Cardinals took a 42-31 lead on Jarrod Jones' rebound basket not quite two minutes into the second half.

The experienced Cardinals, with four starters back from a 19-13 season, boosted the lead to four on Jones' inside hook shot, but Perry sank a 3-pointer, then freshman Nick Johnson made both on a one-and-one to put Arizona up 56-55 with 6:07 to play, the Wildcats' first lead since the game's opening two minutes.

Hill's two free throws, followed by his 3-pointer from the corner boosted the lead to 61-55 with 2:37 remaining.

Ball State opened a 17-10 lead on Scaife's steal and breakaway layup. After Arizona cut it to 19-15, the Cardinals scored the next seven to go up 26-15 when Berry made one of two free throws with 4:49 to play. The turnover-plagued Wildcats went scoreless for just over five minutes during the Ball State run.

Arizona didn't get a field goal for nearly 5 1/2 minutes but crawled back into it at the free throw line. Fogg was fouled by Tyler Koch on a three-point attempt and made all three at the line to cut the lead to 26-20 with 3:53 left in the half.

Johnson made one of two free throws to cut it to 26-21, but the Cardinals, expected to contend in the Mid-American Conference, got consecutive 3s from Jones and Scaife in an 8-3 spurt that boosted the lead to 36-26 with 1 1/2 minutes left in the half. Jones' driving dunk just before the halftime buzzer gave Ball State a 38-29 lead at the break.

The Wildcats committed 10 first-half turnovers to just one for the Cardinals. In the second half, Ball State had eight turnovers to Arizona's three.

The teams met for the first time.

Arizona goes to New York to play St. John's in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Thursday night. Ball State plays at Indiana State Friday night.