Victory Puts Howland on the Map in Los Angeles

And so the Ben Howland era has finally begun.Unapologetically, unabashedly and somewhat unbelievably.

And so the Ben Howland era has finally begun a year late, but goodness, worth the wait.

Dancing students, stomping alumni, rocking Pauley, many still hanging around the old gym late Saturday night, rubbing their eyes as if they had just witnessed a vision.

Which, in a way, they had.

It was a UCLA basketball team that was embarrassed, intimidated, overwhelmed by Pac-10 best Washington.

And won.

It was a UCLA basketball team that trailed by 21 points early, trailed by 14 points late, trailed by every conceivable bit of common sense until the very end.

When it won.

The final score was UCLA 95, Washington 86, season upside down.

The final scene was Howland calmly walking around the court as if he’s been here before.

Which he hasn’t.

But he’s here now.

Welcome to Los Angeles, dude.

“This was a great, great victory,” Howland said, wiping a bead of sweat from his beaming-for-one-of-the-first-times face.

It was his best victory since arriving from Pittsburgh one season ago, because it represented everything UCLA used to be, everything UCLA wants to become again.

“They have a lot of heart, a lot of guts,” he said of a lineup that often includes three freshmen. “Their will to win is very strong. It’s what we’re trying to recruit.”

They scored the game’s first three points, then were outscored, 13-0.

They scored another basket, then were outscored, 10-0.

It wasn’t close, and it wasn’t getting pretty.

At one point in the first half, Husky Nate Robinson soared for a layup while Bruin Jordan Farmar stood behind him with his hands outstretched in confusion and frustration.

At halftime, the Huskies were shooting 68% and the Bruins were lucky to have closed the gap to 10.

“It was my fault in the first half,” Howland said. “We should have pushed it harder.”

Now you’re talking, coach.

Since Howland arrived, there were fears that his Big East mentality would slow the Bruins to a boring halt, resulting in empty seats and lousy recruiting.

Fear no more.

The Bruins sprinted to 53 points in the second half, running the veteran Huskies into 10 turnovers and holding them to just three assists.

Steve Lavin, making his first appearance at Pauley Pavilion since being fired, probably felt right at home.

Pat Riley, scouting a bunch of players who were probably not on UCLA, also felt right at home.

When they showed John Wooden on the scoreboard screen with 7:27 left, resulting in a standing ovation, there was no question this was the Bruins’ home.

Still down 14 points with 14:25 remaining, the kids proved it.

Dijon Thompson, acting like the senior leader he should be, tipped in a miss.

Brian Morrison, acting like the senior gunner he can be, sank a three-pointer.

Then there was a steal, then a Morrison fastbreak layup, then a quick forced Husky miss, then, for these eyes, the play of the game.

Morrison had an open three-point attempt but looked around and saw freshman Josh Shipp had a better three-point attempt.

Morrison made the extra pass. It seems as if all these Bruins make the extra pass. Shipp sank the three-pointer. The Bruins pulled within five points and began to believe.

“It’s become our mantra,” said Howland. “Never say die, never quit, never give up.”

OK, so he’s not the first UCLA coach to talk in cliches. Right, Lavin?

But his team played like every one of those bromides, particularly in the closing minutes.

When was the last time you saw a UCLA clinch the game after a defensive play?

On Saturday it was Michael Fey blocking Robinson with the Bruins up by two.

“The only way we had a chance was to play defense at the end,” said Howland, and now we know exactly what he has been preaching.

When was the last time you saw UCLA score the final points of a big victory on second shots?

On Saturday it was Lorenzo Mata sneaking behind the Husky defense to rebound a Farmar miss and lay it back in for a five-point lead.

Then, with the crowd howling in delight, it was Thompson following his own missed free throw for a layup that resulted in the final margin.

“The guys showed a lot of mental toughness and fortitude,” Howland said for the umpteenth time, but who can blame him?

It was only the Huskies’ second loss of the season, made harder still because former Bruins Lorenzo Romar and Cameron Dollar watched from the bench.

“We’ve got nobody to blame but ourselves,” said Romar, the Husky coach. “We did what we wanted to do in the first 12 minutes. Whatever it was, because of fouls or fatigue, we quit doing it.”

Imagine that. A UCLA team forcing a veteran, well-coached outfit into fouls and fatigue. A team for which unafraid freshman combine for 37 points, and unselfish seniors do the rest.

So that is what Dan Guerrero was talking about when he hired Ben Howland?

So this could be fun.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.