March 15, 1998

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Adia Barnes had 30 points and Lisa Griffith scored 11 of her 17 points in the second half as No. 9 Arizona withstood a rally to beat Virginia 94-77 Sunday night and knock the Cavaliers out of the round of 16 for the first time in 12 years.

The Wildcats (23-6) made the NCAA tournament for the first time last season and reached the second round. This time, they won for the 12th time in their last 14 games and advanced to meet Connecticut.

Lisa Hosac had a career-high 29 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers (19-10), and DeMya Walker, limited to four minutes in the first half by foul problems, finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

The Cavaliers, who were 11-0 in the second round, staged their biggest comeback of the season Friday night, rallying from a 19-point deficit to oust SMU.

They had an even bigger task two days later, dropping behind 62-37 when Felecity Willis hit a 12-foot jumper in the lane with 12:51 to play.

They almost made it up with a 20-6 run in the next three minutes during which Hosac had two three-point plays, an assist to Walker and a layup.

Barnes, who also had 10 rebounds and four steals, got Arizona righted with a layup, opening a 70-57 Wildcats lead with 9:37 to play, and the Cavaliers got the deficit to single digits just once - at 80-71 on another layup by Hosac with 3:22 to go.

Barnes had 21 points in the first half, and Arizona had a 51-30 lead.

She had 16 points in the first 7:36 and scored three straight baskets during a 12-0 run that carried the Wildcats to a 28-14 lead with 9:56 to play.

Then Griffith and DeAngela Minter made 3-pointers and Barnes had a three-point play during a 12-1, two-minute surge. With 2:47 left in the half, the Wildcats were up 48-26.

The Cavaliers' problems started with Walker's fouls. She picked up two in a five-second span in the early minutes and got her third only 4:02 into the game. Walker missed the rest of the first half.