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By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Channing Frye scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the second half and No. 7 Arizona escaped with an 84-78 victory over St. Mary's on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats (5-1) trailed 76-69 after Daniel Kickert's inside bank shot with 3:03 to play, but outscored the Gaels 15-2 the rest of the way.

Arizona never led in the second half until Salim Stoudamire passed inside to Frye for a layup to put the Wildcats up 79-78 with 55 seconds remaining.

Stoudamire scored six of his 16 points in the late run, including a steal of an inbounds pass and layup that cut the lead to 78-77 with 1:36 to play.

Kickert and Paul Marigney each scored 19 points for the Gaels (6-4), while Frederic Adjiwanou had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Frye also had nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Hassan Adams added 23 points and Andre Iguodala had 12 for the Wildcats.

The Gaels, who lost to Southern California in overtime earlier this season, went on a 19-4 run late in the first half and early in the second to go up 51-44 on Marigney's driving layup with 15:52 to play. St. Mary's led 59-52 after Jonathan Sanders' rebound basket with 11:39 left.

Arizona tied it 62-62 when Adams capped a 10-3 spurt with a breakaway stuff with 7:36 to play. But Tyler Herr hit two 3-pointers in a 12-3 outburst that put St. Mary's ahead 74-65 just 4:53 from the finish.

The Wildcats went 7-of-8 from the free throw line in their final run, including 4-of-4 by Stoudamire.

Frye was having an awful game before coach Lute Olson benched him and gave him a lecture on the sideline. Frye came back and eventually dominated the game. The junior center was 7-of-11 from the field in the second half.

The Gaels finished the first half with a 9-1 run to tie it at 41-41. Neither team scored in the last 2:08.

St. Mary's kept it going at the start of the second half, outscoring Arizona 10-3 in the first 4:08.

Arizona's lone first-half spark was a 9-0 spurt that put the Wildcats up 40-32 on Stoudamire's 3-pointer with 4:21 to play.

Marigney was 3-for-5 from 3-point range and scored 13 points in the first half for St. Mary's. Adams scored 14 points in the first half for Arizona on 6-for-8 shooting.

In their last meeting two seasons ago, the Wildcats routed St. Mary's 101-41. Arizona hasn't dropped a nonconference game at home since losing to Connecticut on Jan. 26, 2002.