No Joy for Bruins on Hurley’s Big Day : College basketball: Duke guard sees his number retired, then sparks the Blue Devils’ 78-67 victory.

Mark Gottfried, UCLA’s assistant coach, recently was talking to Bob Hurley about point guards other than Hurley’s son Bobby, the Duke All-American.

Gottfried suggested to Hurley, coach of St. Anthony High in Jersey City, N.J., that the Bruins’ Tyus Edney could stay with Bobby, one of the nation’s best point guards.

“Nobody can stop Bobby from penetrating,” came the terse reply.

Said Gottfried: “I forgot I was talking to a father instead of a coach.”

Parental love aside, Hurley deserves his father’s praise.

Few would challenge it after yet another spectacular performance Sunday in the Cameron Indoor Stadium in which the 6-foot Hurley ran the Blue Devils past UCLA, 78-67, in a nonconference game before 9,314 and a national television audience.

It was a day on which No. 9 Duke (22-5) paid homage to its four-year starter by retiring his No. 11 before he did a number on the Bruins (18-9).

Playing 39 minutes, Hurley scored 19 points and had 15 assists, leaving him five shy of the NCAA assist record. And his two three-point baskets during the second half helped deflate the Bruins, as did Duke’s pressure defense.

With the Bruins on the verge of their best performance of the season, Hurley took a pass from Thomas Hill on the left wing and made his first three-pointer, giving Duke a 62-51 lead with 9 minutes 20 seconds to play.

Then, when UCLA rallied to within six on Mitchell Butler’s turnaround layup, Hurley found himself alone and his three-pointer with 7:14 left gave the Blue Devils some breathing room, 67-58.

“They were nice, big time shots,” UCLA Coach Jim Harrick said. “We were right there, but those three-pointers took something out of us.”

And without Hurley?

“We wouldn’t have won two NCAA championships and I wouldn’t be called a great coach,” Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski said.

“Bobby Hurley had another sensational game, and it came on a sensational day for him. This may be as good a day as he’s ever had.”

It came against a point guard whose reputation is growing. Edney, the 20-year-old sophomore guard, had six points and seven assists, and for the fourth time this season played the entire game.

For a team that has had its ups and downs this season, UCLA was steady, if not brilliant. The Bruins played with an intensity that was lacking during Thursday night’s 10-point loss to USC at Pauley Pavilion.

After scouting the Florida State-Duke game Wednesday night, UCLA assistant Steve Lavin told the players to enjoy Sunday’s experience.

“Enjoy the cheering crowds . . . of playing in one of the toughest places in college basketball,” he said.

If not exactly enjoying the loss, the Bruins knew they played with poise.

“We didn’t want to embarrass ourselves in this great place,” said Ed O’Bannon, who led UCLA with 19 points and five rebounds.

Each time Duke started to roll, UCLA came back. The Bruins rallied from double-digit deficits four times.

If not for an ill-advised double technical on Harrick with 10 seconds to play, the score would have been close. Harrick’s sideline tirade over a missed foul call allowed Thomas Hill to shoot four free throws. He also had two shots from Rodney Zimmerman’s foul, and made four of the six free throws.

Harrick declined to discuss the technicals, saying only they had no bearing on the game.

On that account, he was right.

Bobby Hurley took care of that.

UCLA Notes

Grant Hill, Duke’s leading scorer, did not play because of toe injury. He is expected to return this week. Duke has won three in a row without Hill after losing two consecutive games after he suffered the injury. . . . The Bruins’ Shon Tarver had 17 points and five rebounds. Mitchell Butler and Richard Petruska had eight points and five rebounds each. . . . UCLA shot a season-high 82.4% in making 14 of 17 free throws. . . . Duke’s Thomas Hill led all scorers with 22 points. Cherokee Parks had 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. . . . Bobby Hurley, on playing against 5-foot-9 Tyus Edney: “He’s really quick. He gave me a lot of trouble last season. I don’t like playing guys smaller than I am.” Hurley, on UCLA: “I definitely think they are a tournament team. They play hard, hit the boards, play great defense.”