[0] BARON HOLDS COURT; DAVIS POINTS THE WAY AS UCLA BEATS USC : UCLA 68, USC 63.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

USC had the smarts, the shooters and the savvy to conjure its second upset in five days, but the Trojans didn't have the legs, and they did not have Baron Davis.

Ferocious offensive rebounding and a 16-foot jumper by Davis were enough to push the Bruins past USC 68-63 Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion in a taut, entertaining game.

The Bruins trailed 54-50 with eight minutes left when their defense began to slowly smother USC. Relentless offensive rebounding by JaRon Rush (10 rebounds) and Earl Watson - and the ensuing free throws - gave the Bruins a 65-61 lead.

The margin was 65-63 when Davis converted a spinning, fade-away jumper with 36 seconds left that secured the victory - UCLA's 10th consecutive in the city series.

The win also ended UCLA's two-game losing streak and marked a return of the energy that evaporated last weekend in the Bay Area.

``Obviously, the last two seasons have been a roller coaster off the court,'' UCLA forward Sean Farnham said. ``On the floor, it seems we're struggling now. What we need to do is find a way to get all 13 guys competing at the highest level until we reach our potential.''

No one was more frustrated with UCLA's performance at Cal than Davis, who singlehandedly kept the Bruins breathing with a career-high 27 points. Afterward, Davis ripped his teammates and vowed to improve UCLA's attitude in practice, even if it meant stepping on fragile egos.

Tuesday afternoon, he pronounced the situation solved.

``I've seen some intensity and passion, and we needed that back,'' he said. ``Everybody practiced except Jerome (Moiso), and had two good quality practices.''

As expected, the Bruins used an unconventional starting lineup Wednesday, with senior Brandon Loyd and Farnham joining Watson, Rush and Davis. Walk-on Todd Ramasar was the sixth man. Moiso did not play because of tendinitis in his right foot.

Loyd, for one, was thrilled.

``The main thing is the message that's sent,'' he said. ``I'm excited to get a chance. It'll be fun to start, but my overall goal is for the team. It's a great lesson to learn.''

Fresh off its stunning upset of Stanford, USC used a standard starting lineup, which meant the rejuvenated Brian Scalabrine at center. He scored 22 points at Stanford and continued that pace in Pauley, hitting several early jumpers and keeping USC close with 14 points in the first half.

UCLA's reserves-cum-starters held their own until the regulars returned. Farnham was the most effective, and after an early exit he returned to help contain Scalabrine. Eventually, though, it was reserve forward Matt Barnes who did the best job, holding Scalabrine to six points in the second half.

Although the Bruins led for most of the first half, it was a tenuous advantage. Each time they seemed poised to grab control, the Trojans responded with a big basket - either a 3-pointer or a Scalabrine jumper. After Watson's third foul with 3:41 left in the half, the Bruins bolted to their largest lead, 32-25, when Davis found Farnham for a lay-up.

But with Watson and Davis on the bench in the final minute, UCLA committed three turnovers in four possessions. Shannon Swillis' dunk trimmed USC's halftime deficit to 34-31.

The Trojans maintained that momentum when the second half began. Scalabrine connected from the right wing, then hit a mid-range fade, and suddenly USC was within a basket. The Trojans took their first lead since 7-6 when Sam Clancy scored with 15 minutes left.

The Bruins' biggest problem - Scalabrine aside - was poor continuity on offense. They did not react well to USC's changing defenses, and Davis committed several turnovers trying to force the ball into traffic.

When the Bruins did execute, they failed to convert from the foul line. Barnes' missed free throws translated into an Elias Ayuso jumper and a 51-47 USC lead with just over 10 minutes remaining.

UCLA tightened its defense in the late stages and held the Trojans to one basket in a five-possession span. But the Bruins missed five free throws and held a meager 64-61 with 2:18 left. Watson increased the lead to 65-61 a minute later, capping a three-shot possession with one free throw.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) UCLA's Baron Davis blocks a shot by USC's Sam Clancy Jr. during the Bruins' 68-63 win.

(2) The Bruins' JaRon Rush, who was a key man on the boards with 10 rebounds, leaps out of bounds to try to save the ball.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News