UCLA Returns the Favor, Playing Poor Guest for Cal : College basketball: Bruins hammer Bears at Oakland, 85-71, to avenge worst loss at Pauley Pavilion.

Forget the affairs surrounding the California basketball team the past two weeks in the aftermath of the Lou Campanelli firing.

Forget Cal’s 104-82 victory Jan. 24 that was UCLA’s worst defeat at Pauley Pavilion.

All that mattered Saturday before 15,039 at the sold-out Oakland Coliseum Arena was the way UCLA defeated the Bears, 85-71, in a Pacific 10 Conference game.

“They came in our house and humiliated us,” UCLA’s Ed O’Bannon said. “Beating them on their floor was just as good.”

Behind improving center Richard Petruska, UCLA overcame a 10-point deficit during the second half to win its fourth game in a row. Cal, guided by rookie Coach Todd Bozeman, lost for the first time in four games since Campanelli was fired Feb. 7 for verbally abusing his players.

Early in the second half, it looked as if Cal (13-8 overall, 6-6 in the Pac-10) would rout the Bruins again and ride an emotional two weeks into the NCAA tournament. But, after three games in which nothing seemed to go wrong, the Bears’ shortcomings were exposed.

Affer leading, 39-32, at halftime, the Bears took a 46-36 lead on Lamond Murray’s dunk with 17:22 to play. UCLA could not handle Cal’s fast-paced offense and looked flustered.

The game’s texture changed dramatically when UCLA Coach Jim Harrick implemented a 2-3 zone defense. After watching the 22-point loss to the Bears on videotape last week, Harrick knew his team needed to show patience if it was to be successful.

From the sideline, he urged the Bruins to execute designated plays.

They listened.

Not only did the zone effectively stop Cal’s talented freshman point guard, Jason Kidd, it allowed the Bruins to take advantage of their big front line.

In the next 3:51, UCLA went on a 13-0 run to a 49-46 lead. Petruska, who had 24 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, led the way by bringing the offense inside. O’Bannon was a big beneficiary, scoring eight of his 14 points during the run.

Bozeman, who was never a head coach at any level of organized basketball before this month, said the rally did not hurt the Bears’ confidence. For the next six minutes, the teams remained even.

Then Cal appeared to be primed for another breakaway. Murray made a three-point basket for a 59-56 lead with 7:14 left. UCLA looked tentative, and perhaps, tired.

Petruska then made a three-pointer.

It might not have been the shot Harrick wanted, but he was not complaining.

“Just don’t make a habit of (shooting) it,” he said.

With regained confidence, UCLA (18-7, 8-5) clung to the lead, relying on Tyus Edney to control the tempo. Edney was badly outplayed by Kidd in Pauley Pavilion. But Saturday, Edney kept his poise in dribbling through the pressure defense.

He had 21 points and six assists and was helped greatly by Shon Tarver, who spelled him at point guard. Despite playing with three fouls much of the second half, Tarver scored 16 points and added a career-high seven assists.

But his biggest contribution was in defending Kidd, who scored 25 points in an overtime victory over USC on Thursday night. Kidd scored six points, making two of 10 shots against UCLA. He was one for seven from three-point range.

Cal, bothered by the zone defense, made nine of 35 shots from three-point range.

“They didn’t get a real good look at the basket,” Harrick said of Cal’s shooters.

All this seemed to stun the Bears.

“I was kind of surprised they played that well,” Alfred Grigsby said.

Considering the Bruins’ inconsistent play the past month, no one was challenging such sentiment.

But UCLA, which moved into sole possession of second place in the Pac-10 when Washington State and Oregon State both lost Saturday night, believes it has reached a new plateau.

“This,” Petruska said, “gives us hopes to be a better team.”

UCLA Notes

UCLA shot 76.5% in the second half, and ended the game shooting 53%. . . . Richard Petruska’s 24 points was a season high. He scored 29 points when he played for Loyola Marymount before transferring to UCLA. . . . Tyus Edney’s 21 points was a career high. . . . California’s 35 three-point shots were a season high, but many came in the final two minutes when UCLA turned a close game into a big victory. . . . Coach Todd Bozeman of Cal, on the loss: “I told the team it’s not the end of our goal. It’s just one loss.” . . . Mitchell Butler was the only Bruin starter who did not score in double figures, but he had seven rebounds with six points. . . . Richard Petruska on shooting the three-point shot: “I didn’t think about it. I just shot it.”