Bruins concentrate on the task at hand

Conference titles are won step by step.

And by avoiding missteps.

That’s what a loss by No. 3 UCLA to Arizona State tonight at Pauley Pavilion would be, and a big one, with the Sun Devils the only team in the Pacific 10 that has yet to win a conference game.

Sandwiched between a one-point victory over rival USC and Saturday’s showdown with No. 11 Arizona, Arizona State is very much a watch-your-step game.

“Yeah, Arizona’s probably going to be a big game, but Arizona State, we’ve got to take care of business,” point guard Darren Collison said. “If we’re going to be where we want to be, we’ve got to beat Arizona State.”

UCLA Coach Ben Howland is probably right when he says Arizona State will have a conference victory before the Pac-10 season is done.

The Sun Devils have lost seven consecutive games but four have been by eight points or fewer, and one, to California, was in overtime. Although they missed a prime opportunity by losing to Oregon State at home, they played Oregon to a five-point game last week, when the Ducks led by as many as 15 before Arizona State cut the lead to a basket.

If the game lacks suspense and there’s no need for Arron Afflalo to make another shot in the final seconds, at least there are plenty of subplots:

* Swingman Josh Shipp, who sat out the USC game because of a slight tear in his right hamstring, is much improved, although UCLA officially said his status would be a game-time decision.

Shipp’s eagerness to play is increased by the fact that his younger brother, Jerren, is an Arizona State freshman playing more than 27 minutes a game and averaging 7.5 points.

“I definitely know a lot about him. I’d probably guard him. But we’ll see what happens,” Shipp said.

* Arizona State plays zone defense, something that has given UCLA trouble.

“Against a 2-3 zone, you’ve got to be patient,” Collison said.

* Lorenzo Mata’s trouble at the free-throw line continues: He is said to make better than 70% in practice, yet is shooting 32.6% in games.

And though this facet seems a bit of a stretch, Howland is even promoting the game as sort of a mini Cameroon title bout among the Bruins’ Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya and Arizona State’s Serge Angounou.

The Sun Devils have four freshmen who play a lot of minutes, but their best player has been sophomore forward Jeff Pendergraph, who is averaging 13.4 points and 9.3 rebounds and has made 31 of his last 38 shots.

“He’s a very good player,” Howland said. “I think he’s one of the better big men in the league.”

If UCLA wants to stay on the crowded path toward being the best team in the league, tonight is a must.

TONIGHT

vs. Arizona State, 7:30 p.m., Prime

Site -- Pauley Pavilion.

Radio -- 1150.

Records -- UCLA 15-1, 4-1 in Pacific 10, Arizona State 6-11, 0-6.

Update -- UCLA recovered from its first loss to Oregon with a come-from-behind victory over USC, winning by one point on a shot by Arron Afflalo in the final seconds. The Sun Devils are in their first season of a rebuilding project under Coach Herb Sendek, who left North Carolina State after taking the Wolfpack to five consecutive NCAA tournaments.

robin.norwood@latimes.com