[0] UCLA OUT OF GAS; FOULS, FATIGUE, TURNOVERS FELL BRUINS IN LOSS TO STANFORD : STANFORD 84 UCLA 81.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

A muffed pass here, a stumble there, and just like that it all disappeared. The emotion, the rally, the momentum, the vow to win their remaining home games - it all disappeared on two plays in the final seconds, leaving the comeback kids with no pulse.

A mishandled pass from Toby Bailey to J.R. Henderson and Bailey's turnover-creating stumble on the ensuing possession - both in the final 30 seconds - squashed UCLA's rally and helped Stanford to an 84-81 victory on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion.

``I'm sick to my stomach,'' said Bailey, who has bailed out the Bruins with clutch play throughout his career. ``I fell down when we had a chance to win.''

That chance existed only because UCLA rallied from a 70-55 deficit with eight minutes left, scoring 15 consecutive points to tie the game with 4:52 remaining. Just as another comeback victory seemed inevitable - the Bruins rallied from double-digit second-half deficits three times last year - Stanford pulled the plug.

North Hollywood High graduate Arthur Lee gave the Cardinal an 80-78 lead with two free throws with 33 seconds left, leading to UCLA's first miscue: Bailey's bad pass to Henderson, who was cutting to the basket on the right side. Lee missed a free throw with 15 seconds left, but Bailey fell as he charged toward the basket for the potential game-tying shot.

``I was tired,'' said Bailey, who played one of his best games with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. ``I was trying to go too fast and my feet couldn't keep up.''

Speed and fatigue were among the many subplots to UCLA's first home loss of the season - a loss that will haunt the Bruins come Selection Sunday, when their 1-4 record (to date) against top-25 teams might be the difference between a No. 2, 3, and 4 seeding.

After two losses in three games, and with the Pacific-10 Conference title out of reach, UCLA (18-5, 8-4) isn't charging to the finish line so much as searching for confidence and identity.

``We got outplayed tonight, but we have to bounce back like any team would,'' forward Kris Johnson said. ``We can't let this loss dictate the rest of the season.''

While Stanford played its usual game - precision offense, sound defense, ready to pounce on every UCLA mistake - the Bruins' performance fluctuated wildly.

They missed their first 14 3-point attempts. They endured serious foul trouble, losing point guard Baron Davis, who fouled out with 4:43 left.

Their half-court defense once again permitted too many open shots. And their offense often deteriorated into one-on-one play - especially late in the first half and early in the second, when Stanford built and sustained a double-digit lead.

UCLA's most effective moments were early and late, when it applied harrowing full-court pressure that flustered the normally steady Cardinal into numerous turnovers. The Bruins jumped to a 15-5 lead because of the press, and it also spurred their second-half comeback.

But with a six-man rotation, the Bruins could not swarm for 40 minutes, and the Cardinal knew it.

``It's hard to sustain that kind of pressure,'' Stanford's Pete Sauer said. ``They aren't that deep. You can't press for 40 minutes with six or seven guys, and we knew when it was a half-court game that we'd get the shots we wanted.''

The Cardinal made 6-of-13 3-pointers and shot 50.8 percent overall. Meanwhile, the Bruins failed to exploit their one advantage from the Maples Pavilion meeting last month: the front-court scoring of Henderson and Jelani McCoy. Henderson finished with a game-high 26 points, but many came during the final rally. For much of the evening, the Bruins preferred to launch from the perimeter.

``The game plan was to pound it inside,'' Henderson said. ``I don't know what the cause was of us not getting it inside. We didn't get many shots in the paint.''

Note: A memorial service will be held this morning for Pauley Pavilion manager Katie Abbott, who died Tuesday after a long struggle with brain cancer. She was 36.

The service begins at 11:45 a.m. Enter at Gate Two.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Color) UCLA could not control its frenetic pace as Kris Johnson loses ball.

(2) Stanford guard Arthur Lee (11) dribbles around UCLA's Baron Davis, middle, with help from Tim Young's pick.

David Sprague/Daily News

Box: PACIFIC 10 STANDINGS