Two of the best freshmen in the country -- Arizona forward Lauri Markkanen and Washington guard Markelle Fultz -- played to a scoring standstill but as usual, Markkanen's team won.
Markkanen had 26 points and 13 rebounds, guard Allonzo Trier scored 21 and the No. 5 Wildcats held on to beat Washington 76-68 on Saturday night in Seattle despite playing without two starters.
"I can't say enough good things about our team," Arizona coach Sean Miller said. "We have some guys on our team that just show up and get the job done -- not just on game day but in-between games.
"There was a lot going against us, and we still find a way. We had some players play a great game. In my mind, Lauri was the best player on the court."
Markkanen, a noted 3-point shooter at 46.5 percent, had more low-post responsibilities with center Dusan Ristic out with a sprained ankle. Markkanen made 9 of 17 shots, but missed his only two 3-point attempts.
"I thought he was outstanding," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "He was the one guy that was just able to get a basket for them."
Markkanen's 13 rebounds -- seven on the offensive end -- tied a career high.
Arizona (25-3, 14-1 Pac-12) stayed a game ahead of Oregon in the conference race. The Huskies (9-18, 2-13) lost their ninth consecutive contest.
Washington had a chance to tie late but forward Carlos Johnson was called for charging with 1:13 left with Arizona up 71-68. Markkanen missed badly on a 3-point attempt at the other end, but center Chance Comanche grabbed the rebound and dunked for a 73-68 lead.
Washington guard Matisse Thybulle missed a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left, and Arizona added three free throws.
Fultz, a potential No. 1 draft pick likely playing his final home game, took advantage of the absence of Arizona guard Kadeem Allen, the Wildcats' best perimeter defender who was out because of a finger injury.
Fultz, averaging a Pac-12 best 23 points per game, scored 26 with six assists. He made 7 of 16 shots from the field and was 10 of 15 from the line.
"Markelle has laid it all out on the line this year for this team," Romar said. "He is a guy that, as I've said many times, has not come in with a sense of entitlement. He's done everything imaginable to help our team."
Fultz's spinning layup through the lane with 14:52 to go gave Washington a 52-51 lead, its first advantage since early in the game. But Trier answered with a 3-pointer, and the Wildcats never trailed again.
Miller, who hangs his coaching hat on his man-to-man pack-line defense, used a 2-3 zone for several minutes in the second half to slow the pace and grab a little rest for his short-handed team.
"Going zone in the second half, which is something we seldom do, you don't know if that's going to work or not. I think it changed the game," Miller said. "I give our players a lot of credit. We work on it every day, but it's not a priority.
"Were we great with the zone? No. But for the most part we knew what we were doing and I think it changed the momentum."
Comanche, a sophomore making his first career start, scored 13 points in a career-high 32 minutes. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, starting for Allen, scored 11.
Washington center Malik Dime, who hadn't played since Jan. 7 because of a finger injury and two-game suspension because of an altercation with Colorado fans in a game at Boulder, was in the starting lineup for Senior Night. He scored two points and blocked four shots.
Forward Noah Dickerson added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Huskies, who failed to score a basket in the final 4:41.
Arizona, led by Markkanen down low, had a 17-9 edge in second-chance points.
Washington shot 57.7 percent in the first half and tied the game at 42 on Fultz's 3-pointer with seven seconds left. Fultz scored nine of the Huskies' final 11 points in the half.
NOTES:
-- ESPN announced Saturday that its GameDay program will originate in Tucson, Ariz., before Arizona's game against UCLA on Saturday. This will be GameDay's third appearance at McKale Center.
-- Washington PG Markelle Fultz set a school freshman record with 579 points, breaking the mark of Tony Wroten, who scored 559 in the 2011-12 season.
-- Arizona C Dusan Ristic has a "grade 1" ankle sprain -- the most mild diagnosis, according to coach Sean Miller.
-- Former Arizona coach Lute Olson, who lives in Tucson, attended the game.
-- Arizona won eight in a row versus Washington.
-- Arizona hosts USC on Thursday. Washington next plays at Washington State on Feb. 26
