UCLA Tries to Get Back in Race : Bruins Play Huskies Tonight With a Lot of Hopes at Stake

UCLA’s basketball team has not quite reached the halfway point in its Pacific 10 schedule, but it has come to what Coach Walt Hazzard is calling the moment of truth.

UCLA will play Washington at Pauley Pavilion tonight in a game that will either give the Bruins some hope for being competitive in the conference or put them under .500 in conference play.

The Bruins are 4-4 in the Pac-10, 9-8 overall. Washington, still looking as if it will win the title despite being upset by Arizona last week, is 7-2 in the conference, 13-8 overall.

No one at UCLA is forgetting that Washington won the game in Seattle a few weeks ago by 25 points. In fact, Hazzard called that defeat probably the worst game of the season for the Bruins. But he also said: “I think we can do better here at home. It’s a game we can win.”

Hazzard is considering putting 6-10 junior Jack Haley back in the starting lineup at center, moving 6-8 sophomore Craig Jackson back to a forward spot and taking out Jerald Jones, who suffered a deep bruise in practice this week.

The Bruins will need Haley’s size against Chris Welp, Washington’s 7-foot center. The last time, Welp had 28 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocked shots against the Bruins.

For the first time since Jan. 15, guard Corey Gaines will be available to play for the Bruins. Hazzard said that Rod Palmer would still be the first guard off the bench, but that Gaines would play tonight.

Bruin Notes Tonight’s game will be televised live at 8 p.m. on ESPN and broadcast by KMPC (710). . . . Washington split two games at home last week, beating Arizona State, 72-58, but losing to Arizona, 70-57. The loss to Arizona ended Washington’s seven-game winning streak. . . . UCLA forward Kelvin Butler, who already has missed six games, is still out indefinitely with a torn abdominal muscle. . . . Andy Russo is in his first season as coach at Washington after six years at Louisiana Tech. . . . UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard said this week that he is much happier with the crowd at Pauley Pavilion lately. “The student section has been filled and I’ve been seeing a lot of blue and gold,” he said. “I don’t think USC felt comfortable here, and that’s the way it should be. I like the noise level and the fact that the crowd is getting involved.” . . . Since getting his shooting hand banged up and bruised, Montel Hatcher has not scored in double figures in four straight games.