Hazzard’s Respect of WSU Real : Cougars Get Rematch Today After Earlier Double-Overtime Loss

Just the other day, UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard was going on about the strength of the Washington State basketball team. That figures, given that UCLA is playing Washington State today at Pauley Pavilion.

But Hazzard was not just hyping the game.

Long before the season started, Hazzard was warning of the Cougars’ potential.

“I said it early in the year and I still believe that Washington State is one of the best teams in the conference,” Hazzard said. “They have everybody back. They’re tough. They’re a very tough team.”

He was saying that even before his team played a “very tough” double-overtime game at Pullman. UCLA won that game, 81-80.

But nobody is going to take for granted a team that pushed them to a double overtime.

When the Bruins beat Washington State last month, the Bruins were coming off an even tougher 25-point loss at Washington. This time, the Bruins are coming off an overtime victory over Washington.

UCLA (10-8 overall, 5-4 in the Pac-10) desperately needed that victory Thursday night to stay bunched up with the several teams that still have an outside shot at winning the Pacific 10 title. Washington State (12-11, 5-5) is one of those teams, so today’s game is also crucial.

Hazzard made a lineup change before the game against Washington, putting 6-10 junior Jack Haley back at center and moving 6-8 sophomore Craig Jackson to the forward spot that Jerald Jones was playing.

He was most concerned about whether the Bruins would be able to hold their own inside, in the rebounding battle. Incredibly, (even considering that Washington’s 7-foot center Chris Welp played only 22 minutes) the Bruins outrebounded Washington, 41-35.

Hazzard will stay with that lineup today against a team that brought out Haley’s best game of the season.

At Pullman, Haley had 10 points and 17 rebounds.

Bruin Notes

Today’s game starts at 3 p.m. and will be televised by Channel 2 and broadcast on KMPC (710). . . . Washington State has won three straight games, at home against Arizona (65-63 in overtime) and Arizona State (70-62), and at the Sports Arena against USC (77-75 in overtime). . . . Washington State has never won at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA has a 9-2 record at home this season. . . . UCLA forward Reggie Miller, ranked No. 4 in the nation in scoring with an average of 24.8 points a game, had 34 points Thursday night in the overtime victory over Washington. . . . Bruin guard Montel Hatcher, who had an injured shooting hand and did not score in double figures in four straight games, broke out of that rut Thursday with 12 points, hitting 6 of 10 from the field.