For Brandon Martin, a starting guard at...

For Brandon Martin, a starting guard at USC, the thought of playing in tonight’s basketball game against fourth-ranked UCLA is enough to make his shooting hand twitch.

But of far greater importance is the matter of survival, said Martin, a former standout at Cleveland High.

“There’s a lot more to this game than people think,” he said. “It’s not just the rivalry, but our entire season hinges on this game.”

Not because it’s the Bruins (14-1, 7-1 in Pacific 10 Conference play), who were ranked No. 1 last week before falling to California on Sunday, but because USC cannot afford to lose its sixth consecutive conference game.

The Trojans started the season 10-2, 3-0 in Pac-10 play, but look what has happened since:

* Washington State 89, USC 59

* Arizona State 87, USC 62

* Arizona 83, USC 74

* Cal 77, USC 68

* Stanford 76, USC 67

Five consecutive defeats, by margins of 30, 25 and nine in each of the past three, have put Martin’s team on red alert at 10-7, 3-5.

“At this point of the season we can’t look back at those games,” said Martin, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard. “We have to find a way to beat UCLA and stay optimistic about the rest of the season.

“If we beat UCLA, that could be the turning point of the season. We could finish out stronger than we even started.”

It won’t be easy. The Bruins average 89.1 points a game and lead the Pac-10 in rebounding (45.1 per game) and shooting (50.5% from the field). They also limit opponents to 39.8% shooting from the field, best in the conference.

But, Martin points out, “We’ve beaten UCLA the last three out of four times we played them at Pauley (Pavilion). The team has to stay motivated.”

Martin, a sophomore, likely will be matched against UCLA senior Shon Tarver from Santa Clara High. Both are averaging 13.5 points.

“I’m excited. Last year I was suited up but didn’t get a chance to play,” Martin said.

It wasn’t a matter of winning a starting job this season but of waiting one’s turn. When Martin signed to attend USC two years ago, he was compared to Harold Miner. Martin averaged 31 points his senior season at Washington High. He transferred to Washington because he was tired of long bus rides, wanted to play at his neighborhood school and was concerned about a high turnover of coaches at Cleveland.

But Martin first made a name for himself at Cleveland, averaging 13 points as a sophomore and 26 as a junior.

Last year was a learning experience. In high school he was merely a scorer, running the floor, spotting up for jump shots or driving for baskets. But at USC, he has been forced to learn to play defense.

“(USC) Coach (George) Raveling always told me it’s a matter of mental discipline,” Martin said. “Think rebound, rebound, rebound instead of getting back down the floor. It’s helped me. It’s given me a greater appreciation of the game.

“If I had to rate myself, though, I’d probably have to give me 70%. I’ve done a lot of good things, but there are things to get better at.”

At least Martin is starting to provide the kind of offense he displayed in high school. Three times he has scored 18 points this season, and during the five-game losing streak he scored 23 against Washington State and 24 against Cal (including four three-pointers).

Martin ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in three-point shooting percentage (40.3%) and 10th in free-throw percentage (78%). And he handles the ball well. He has the fewest turnovers of any player in the conference with at least 400 minutes. He has 14 in 492 minutes--or one every 35.3 minutes.

Guards usually rank among players with the most turnovers.

“I’m starting to feel more comfortable and I’m doing things I’m confident in doing,” Martin said. “And that’s scoring.”

*

Checking the fax: Forward Reggie Bell (College of the Canyons) leads Quincy University with a shooting percentage of 61.8%, a scoring average of 19.2 points and a rebounding average of 11.1. . . . New Orleans point guard Tony Madison (Antelope Valley College) is averaging 11.5 points but scored 20 for the second time this season, last week against Southwestern Louisiana.

In women’s basketball, Oregon State sophomore guard Anjanette Dionne (Hart) is averaging 8.6 points and is tied for fourth in the Pac-10 in steals (2.9). . . . Oregon senior center Sara Wilson (Hart) is averaging 7.3 rebounds overall and 16.1 points in Pac-10 play.