Working Up a Sweat for Stretch

A sense of urgency has overtaken UCLA heading into tonight’s game at Arizona State that begins a stretch in which the Bruins play five of their remaining seven Pacific 10 Conference games on the road.

“Every game is important for us right now,” senior forward T.J. Cummings said. “Every opportunity we get to go out and get a win, we have to take advantage of it.”

A victory over last-place Arizona State would be a good start, considering the Bruins will be underdogs when they play at No. 16 Arizona on Saturday. UCLA and Arizona are tied for fourth place in the Pac-10.

Cummings said the Bruins benefited from intense practices this week, coming after an 80-75 victory over Washington on Saturday that ended a six-game losing streak.

“I feel like we’re taking care of business,” Cummings said. “We’re really preparing each other for playing good games down the stretch.

“Even though we’ve had letdowns, we all know in the locker room what we have. We just try to build off of that every game. This last game [against Washington], we had a couple of things where we could have done better, so we’re just trying to make ourselves strive for perfection and get as good as we can.”

Perfection might be asking a lot of a team that has struggled more often than not in recent weeks. But UCLA seems to have found strength in numbers.

Coach Ben Howland said he would rely more on his bench after several reserves contributed to Saturday’s victory. By using more players and limiting the starters’ minutes, UCLA hopes to play with more intensity for longer periods.

“We feel good; the team is very loose,” junior point guard Cedric Bozeman said. “I think with the rotation, it should help us out and keep us fresh.”

There’s also a chance junior guard Brian Morrison could play limited minutes after sitting out last week’s games because of a sprained right ankle.

Although Arizona State has seven first-year players in its rotation and has lost four in a row, the Sun Devils present the Bruins with myriad challenges.

Most of UCLA’s defensive attention will be directed inside against Arizona State forward Ike Diogu, among the top players in the Pac-10. But that could open up the perimeter for the Sun Devils, who made 12 three-point baskets Saturday in an 85-83 loss at California.

Diogu, a 6-foot-8, 250-pound sophomore, is averaging a conference-best 22.7 points and 8.6 rebounds (second best in the Pac-10) and has scored in double figures in all 52 games he has played, the best active streak in the nation.

UCLA held Diogu to three-of-14 shooting from the field in a 66-58 victory Jan. 15 at Pauley Pavilion. Diogu finished with 15 points, thanks to his ability to draw fouls. He made nine of 10 free throws in that game and has made 189 to set the Arizona State single-season record.

With such a dominant player, some question how Arizona State could be mired in last place.

“It’s hard for me to understand too,” Cummings said. “They have a lot of tough losses.”

UCLA outrebounded Arizona State, 39-29, and held the Sun Devils to one-of-13 shooting from three-point range, a season low.

Howland doesn’t expect it to be quite that easy this time around.

“They’re by no means giving up anything,” Howland said of the Sun Devils. “ ... They’re a young team. They’re hungry. They’ll play tough.”

*

TONIGHT

at Arizona State, 7:30 PST

Fox Sports Net

Site -- Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- UCLA 10-9, 6-5 in Pac-10; Arizona State 8-12, 2-9.

Update -- Cummings had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the first game against the Sun Devils. The Bruins are 9-1 when they outrebound an opponent. Arizona State has lost four in a row, all on the road.