University of Washington
Pacific
How Sweet It Is: Huskies Advance To Sweet 16
March 19, 2005 | Men's Basketball
March 19, 2005
Box Score | Game Highlights | Game Changing Moment
NCAA Regional Ticket Information
BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Two days after a lackluster win in the opening round, Washington was very convincing as a No. 1 seed in the second.
The Huskies advanced to the round of 16 for the first time since 1998 with a 97-79 victory over Pacific on Saturday, shooting 61 percent in the second half and wearing out the bigger Tigers with pesky defense.
"Pacific would have had a better chance if we had played them in the first round instead of the second round because we were a lot more focused," said Brandon Roy, who scored 14 points off the bench for Washington.
Nate Robinson scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half and the tiny guard added seven rebounds, sneaking into traffic and grabbing the ball to start numerous breaks for Washington (29-5).
The 5-foot-9 Robinson missed just one of his nine shots in the second half and pestered the Tigers (27-4) all day.
"You can't teach what's inside of that man," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said of Robinson. "I'm not telling you that he is the best player in America, but he has a ticker that allows him to compete and against anyone. And the bigger the game, you almost see him grow before your eyes."
Bobby Jones scored 19 and Will Conroy had 10 assists for the Huskies, whose top seed was the most disputed among the four No. 1s. But Washington backed it up well against Pacific.
The Huskies never trailed and pulled away by going 19-for-31 from the field in the second half. They finished shooting 56.3 percent (36-of-64) for the game.
 Nate Robinson reacts to his team scoring against Pacific in the second half. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)  |
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Other than a brief push by eighth-seeded Pacific midway through the second half, the Huskies dominated and answered their doubters after holding off Montana 88-77 in the opening round.
Guillaume Yango led Pacific with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Christian Maraker added 12 points for the Tigers, but the Swedish forward was shut out in the second half. David Doubley, the Big West player of the year, finished with just nine points.
"I would say they're the fastest team we faced. Their speed is exceptional. You can't prepare for a team that is that quick," Doubley said. "Give them a lot of credit for being great athletes. They shut us down pretty good tonight."
Tre Simmons scored 15 and Jamaal Williams finished with 11 points for the Huskies as they advanced to the Albuquerque Regional semifinals, where they will face the winner of Louisville-Georgia Tech.
"Not a lot of collegiates get that opportunity," said Romar, who agreed to a new eight-year deal with Washington earlier in the week. "There are NBA All-stars and all-pros that didn't get that opportunity."
Washington was the clear crowd favorite as fans started the chant of "Sweet 16" in the final two minutes. The rowdy fans gave the Huskies an early edge and even members of the Arizona pep band joined in to cheer on their Pac-10 rivals as they waited for the Wildcats' game against UAB later in the day.
It was quickly apparent after halftime who would be advancing.
The Huskies made 11 of their first 16 shots in the second half and opened with a 13-4 run, which included four straight points after Pacific coach Bob Thomason was called for a technical for complaining that an offensive foul wasn't called on Simmons when he drove hard to the basket.
Simmons made both free throws and Jones, who was fouled after pulling down the rebound on Simmons' original layup, was 2-for-2 on his free throws to put the Huskies up by 52-36.
The Huskies increased the lead to 17 before Pacific started to rally midway through the half. Yango missed an opportunity for a three-point play, but Matt Kemper got the rebound off the missed free throw and put it back to cut the margin to 73-62.
After Robinson went 1-for-2 on two free throws with 9:16 remaining, Jasko Korajkic got the lead down to single digits with a 3-pointer that made it 74-65. Pacific's fans had their first real opportunity to cheer.
Robinson quickly put an end to that with back-to-back field goals, and the Huskies coasted the rest of the way.
"It hurts a little getting blown out like that," Maraker said. "We didn't have an answer for them in the second half. They seemed to score every time they had the ball."
