Bruins End Losing Streak--Barely

Jim Harrick circled the date last summer.

After consecutive games against Notre Dame, USC and Duke, all of which figured to be emotionally draining, the UCLA basketball coach and his team would make their annual visit to Washington State.

But Harrick’s fear of a letdown was not realized.

UCLA defeated Washington State, 89-85, Thursday night before 7,121 at Friel Court, getting 23 points and 11 rebounds from Tracy Murray and 21 points and 11 rebounds from Don MacLean.

“This was the best Washington State team I’ve ever faced,” said Harrick, who is 8-0 against the Cougars in his four seasons at UCLA. “They played a great game, but we withstood every run they made, everything they had.

“We played like we had been playing earlier in the year. We were making better decisions in our transition game. We didn’t take but two or three ill-advised shots. We got back to being patient on offense and playing sound, solid games on the defensive end.”

The Bruins made 30 of 53 shots (57%), the first time they have shot better than 50% since they defeated the Cougars on Feb. 8.

They limited Washington State to 42.3% shooting. Three Cougars scored 16 points: Ken Critton, Terrence Lewis, and Neil Derrick.

The victory enabled the ninth-ranked Bruins to remain tied for the Pacific 10 Conference lead with USC, a game ahead of Arizona, with three games remaining for each team.

Ending a three-game losing streak, its longest in two years, UCLA improved to 22-4 overall, 13-2 in the Pac-10.

Washington State, hoping to attract a bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1983, fell to 19-10 and 7-9.

The Cougars, who will play host Sunday to eighth-ranked USC, are 0-6 against nationally ranked opponents and, Coach Kelvin Sampson said, probably won’t make the NCAA tournament field unless they beat USC and Washington, their opponent in their season finale March 14 at Pullman.

An 82-61 loser against UCLA last month at Pauley Pavilion, Washington State hoped to catch the Bruins looking back.

“I don’t know that UCLA takes us very seriously,” Sampson said after practice on the eve of the game. “They look at us as a game they can win. And maybe that’s the way it should be. We haven’t done anything to make them think that we can beat them.”

Sampson was disappointed when UCLA lost Sunday to Duke.

“I didn’t want them to come in here with three straight losses,” he said. “They’re going to be madder than hornets. They don’t want to lose here to us. And they probably shouldn’t lose to Washington State. We don’t have one player on our team who would start for them.”

It looked it at the start.

The Cougars missed 15 of their first 16 shots and fell behind, 18-6, before reserve guard Bennie Seltzer made a three-point shot with 11:18 left in the half, igniting a 21-9 run by Washington State.

Washington State made eight of nine shots at one point, catching UCLA, 27-27, on a three-point basket by Lewis.

But the run ended there.

A three-point play by Darrick Martin put UCLA back in front, 30-27, and started a 14-6 run by the Bruins, who made 60.7% of their shots in the first half and led at halftime, 44-40.

Washington State made only 39.5% of its first-half shots but stayed close by taking 13 offensive rebounds and making five of 14 three-point shots. Seltzer was three of five from three-point range.

UCLA opened the second half with a 6-0 run, extending its lead to 50-40, then increased it to 12 points a few minutes later.

Bruin Notes

UCLA Coach Jim Harrick, under fire after the Bruins lost three consecutive games after a 21-1 start, said that he was not bothered by criticism from alumni and other fans. “You have to consider the source,” Harrick said. “It’s not anybody who knows anything about basketball.” . . . UCLA was 18-0 when leading at halftime before squandering a five-point halftime lead Sunday in a 75-65 loss to Duke at Pauley Pavilion. . . . Tyus Edney, who bruised his tailbone against Duke, played four minutes against Washington State. . . . Gerald Madkins scored 13 points, a season high.

Washington State Coach Kelvin Sampson took exception to remarks made last month by Harrick, who seemed to question Sampson’s decision to keep his team in a zone defense during an 82-61 UCLA victory in which the Bruins made nine of 18 three-point attempts. “I’ve got a feeling I know my personnel a little bit better than he does,” Sampson said. “When your team is making those shots, it’s easy to second-guess what the other coach is doing.”

* ARIZONA KEEPS PACE

The Wildcats defeat California to remain a game behind USC and UCLA in the Pacific 10. C7