Memory Remains Golden to UCLA : College basketball: Playing without ailing MacLean, the Bruins return to site of 1975 championship and score 84-64 victory over San Diego State.

Despite a second-half meltdown during which its 19-point lead evaporated to six, third-ranked UCLA did nothing to ruin its memories of the San Diego Sports Arena on Saturday night.

It was there that the Bruins won their last NCAA championship, in 1975, and it was there that Coach John Wooden worked his last game, on that same night.

Playing in the building for the first time since then, the Bruins beat San Diego State, 84-64.

Without Don MacLean, UCLA’s second-leading scorer (16.3 points a game) and rebounder (6.3) who was sidelined because of flu, the Bruins cruised to a 47-30 halftime lead and then watched the Aztecs pull to 67-61 with 5:18 left. UCLA then went on a 17-3 run the rest of the way.

The Bruins were led by Shon Tarver’s career-high 26 points. Tracy Murray added 20.

But the key Bruin might have been Darrick Martin, a 5-foot-11 senior guard who stepped into the gap when Gerald Madkins, a 6-4 senior, was moved into MacLean’s spot.

“That was the first time in his career he ever played forward on offense,” UCLA Coach Jim Harrick said.

“Darrick came in and got us into our offense. He really was our spark plug.”

Martin finished with 15 points and four assists.

The Aztecs went 3 1/2 minutes without a point early in the first half, allowing UCLA to stretch a 7-5 lead into 13-5. After three consecutive fast breaks by UCLA--a dunk by Murray, a layup by Madkins and a dunk by Tarver--the Aztecs called a timeout.

They were able to pull to 16-14 but then went another 2 1/2 minutes without scoring. UCLA scored 10 of the next 12 points.

UCLA shot 58% in the first half, 55% from three-point range--to the Aztecs’ 39%. The Aztecs made only one of five three-pointers.

Bruin Notes

Coach Jim Harrick’s father-in-law, Frank Marple, died Friday night of cancer in Charleston, W. Va. Harrick’s wife, Sally, will travel to Charleston today and Harrick will join her later in the week. . . . Harrick was assessed a technical foul with 1:11 left when Tracy Murray was pushed from behind by the Aztecs’ Nelson Stewart on a dunk. Murray suffered a groin injury on the play, but UCLA officials said it is not serious. . . . Mitchell Butler received cuts on his forehead and right knee a few seconds before halftime during a midcourt collision with Aztec guard Virgil Smith. Butler played the second half with bandages in both places. . . . After making six free throws to extend his streak to 25 dating to last season, Murray missed the front end of a two-shot foul with 5:34 left.

* WAVES LOSE IN 3 OVERTIMES

Roger Fasting scores with eight seconds remaining to give Montana an 89-88 nonconference victory at Pepperdine. C9