[0] BRUINS BUST LOOSE; UCLA PUTS IT ALL TOGETHER AT USC'S EXPENSE : UCLA 101, USC 84.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

Building the lead wasn't a surprise. They have done that before.

No, the most shocking development was holding the lead, expanding it, caressing it and, finally, having fun with it.

Of course, this crosstown ``rivalry'' tends to bring out the best in the UCLA Bruins - especially in the comforts of Pauley Pavilion, where they defeated USC 101-84 Wednesday night before 12,327 fans. Former Bruin Walt Hazzard, former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and former Laker Magic Johnson were among those who watched the Bruins' formerly sputtering offense bust loose against its annual panacea.

The Bruins have defeated USC five consecutive times in Pauley, by an average of 23 points. Two years ago, they shot 84.6 percent in the first half and rolled to a 50-30 lead. Wednesday night wasn't much different, as UCLA shot 72 percent and grabbed a 51-29 halftime lead.

Unlike the Illinois and Oregon games, however, the No. 9 Bruins (14-3, 5-2) did not relent. Their margin expanded to 29 early in the second half and dwindled only when the reserves entered in the final minutes.

``We were stressing at halftime that we needed to put two halves together and hold the lead,'' guard Toby Bailey said.

Tempers flared in the second half, as they often do in this series. Jelani McCoy and Gary Johnson received technical fouls, but their confrontation was minor compared to the undetected elbows and insults.

``As soon as they get down, they start elbowing and playing dirty and trying to bait us,'' said Bruins forward Kris Johnson. ``They tell us we're not that good . . . but we're up 30. We take a lot of pride in it. We hate them as much as they hate us.''

UCLA's seventh consecutive victory over the Trojans - which matches the football streak - was borne of a 41-32 rebounding advantage, 65 percent shooting and a season-high 25 assists. Time and again, the Bruins passed up good shots for great shots. They moved the ball inside and out, whipped it around the perimeter and ran the USC defense ragged.

``It was a carryover from the (second half of the) Stanford game,'' Johnson said. ``We didn't want to do that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde thing. We wanted to sustain it.''

UCLA's dominance was so complete coach Steve Lavin shunned his six-man rotation and used reserves Travis Reed, Billy Knight and Brandon Loyd in the first half. Not only did the Bruins maintain their lead with the reserve corps, they added to it.

What happened? Why the breakout after weeks of inconsistent production?

First, the Trojans play at UCLA's pace, they just don't do it as well. They attack on offense but miss shots, which creates fast-break opportunities for UCLA. And they apply pressure defense without causing turnovers, which produces uncontested layups.

``We love it when teams play at our tempo,'' said center Jelani McCoy, who wore uniform No. 51 because his regular jersey (34) was either lost or stolen.

Second, the Bruins couldn't miss - draining 7 of 11 3-pointers and 11 of 14 2-pointers in the first half. It was a performance worthy of the smooth-running systems at Arizona or Stanford, not a UCLA team accustomed to stagnation.

The passing and patience had the greatest effect on Bailey, who made 7 of 9 shots and had six assists and no turnovers. ``Across the board, he was tremendous,'' Lavin said. ``He typified the entire team.''

Third, the Bruins kept guard Baron Davis on the court and out of foul trouble with a slight change in tactics. Instead of using Davis to pressure the USC ballhandlers, Earl Watson did it. And instead of Davis leading the fast break - where he is susceptible to charging violations - he ran the wing and Watson took the helm. Davis did not commit his first foul until 9:38 remained and the lead was 25.

The Bruins started with uncharacteristic sloppiness - they usually reserve that for later in the game - and committed turnovers on three early possessions. But with 14 minutes left in the half they shifted to a higher gear, making 10 consecutive shots during a 29-4 surge that` spanned eight minutes.

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PHOTO (Color) Kris Johnson and UCLA loomed large over Gary Williams and rival USC at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins won 101-84.

Tom Mendoza / Daily News