Freshman center Joshua Smith carries the load in UCLA’s win over Cal Poly

UCLA’s first victory in 25 days was an inside job.

It was carried out by a guy who appears significantly heavier than his listed weight of 305 pounds and knocks over opponents as if they are made of foam.

Cal Poly, meet Joshua Smith.

The freshman center was the big difference in the Bruins’ 72-61 victory over the Mustangs on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion, logging his second career double-double to help UCLA snap a four-game losing streak.

“This man could be the beast of all beasts in the whole country,” Bruins junior guard Jerime Anderson said of the 6-foot-10 Smith, who finished with a career-high 19 points to go with 12 rebounds. “We just have to get it in his head.”

Smith acknowledged that he had been too passive early in his college career, often looking to pass instead of score. Not so much against Cal Poly.

The Bruins (4-4) repeatedly got the ball to Smith inside, and he went up strong against the smaller Mustangs, making six of 12 shots and seven of nine free throws. Smith was particularly active late in the first half, scoring six points during an 11-5 run that forged an eight-point halftime lead.

“Sometimes you have to look for your shot,” Smith said, “and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Another Bruin who located his stroke was Anderson, who came off the bench to score all eight of his points midway through the second half. Anderson then repelled Cal Poly’s final charge when he sent an alley-oop pass to Tyler Honeycutt for a dunk that started a game-clinching 9-0 surge with 5 minutes 44 seconds left.

“You always get a little confidence when you see the ball go in the basket,” said Anderson, who finished with six assists and no turnovers. “That happened for me tonight. I’ve been working on my game and my shot, so I know it’s going to come.”

UCLA did a better job of attacking a zone defense against the Mustangs (3-5) than it had against Montana six days earlier, particularly when its ball movement improved in the second half.

It also didn’t hurt that the Bruins hammered Cal Poly on the boards, getting 39 rebounds to the Mustangs’ 24. UCLA’s 13 offensive rebounds — eight by Smith — led to 17 second-chance points.

“Josh Smith was a load in the post,” said Cal Poly forward David Hanson, who finished with a team-high 18 points. “I am not really sure we will play against a guy that big in the Big West.”

The game actually had a similar feel over the first 15 minutes to the Bruins’ loss to Montana. There was another small crowd and a sluggish start against a mid-major opponent. Even the students’ pregame player name shout-outs seemed half-hearted.

But Smith exerted plenty of effort late in the first half. He followed his missed shot with a put-back, made two free throws and then muscled in for a layin, displaying an aggressiveness that his teammates hope signals the end of his submissive ways.

“I stay in his ear about it,” Anderson said. “I’m just like, ‘Bro, we need to you to score in the post and you just need to be a force down there.’ He can be, obviously. I think he’s going to have a lot bigger games as the season goes on.”

ben.bolch@latimes.com