`CANE THREAT OVER; BRUINS BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF AFTER OPENER : UCLA 65, MIAMI 62.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

This was basketball in a green and orange straitjacket, a grinding, grueling game that was painful to watch and, for UCLA, almost heartbreaking to play.

It took the unflappable seniors, Toby Bailey and J.R. Henderson, to finally break Miami's squeeze and lead UCLA to a 65-62 first-round NCAA Tournament victory Friday night before 17,818 at the Georgia Dome. The Bruins will play Michigan, the No. 3 seed in the South Regional, on Sunday at approximately 2 p.m.

``In clutch time, we were able to dig deep to our experiences over four years,'' Bailey said. ``We've been in so many big games, we didn't get rattled.''

The Bruins blew a 10-point second-half lead and trailed 62-59 with 1:55 remaining. Henderson banked a short jumper, then drained two free throws with 25 seconds left to give the Bruins a 63-62 lead.

``I was worried, but my man Kris (Johnson) reminded me of (fall) 1994, when I hit two free throws against Kentucky,'' he said. ``That relaxed me. I tried to get in that frame of mind.''

Then it was Bailey's turn. Miami's Johnny Hemsley missed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 7.4 seconds left, and Bailey grabbed the rebound, his 11th, tying a season-high. He was fouled immediately and made both free throws, then watched Charles Wiseman miss a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

There would be no Princeton II.

``It was not a pretty game,'' UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. ``But at times you have to find a way to win games like that.''

The Bruins (23-8) left themselves open to second-guessing with seemingly lax preparation tactics. They practiced hard only once this week, on Tuesday. The locker-room mood after Thursday's shooting session was extremely light, complete with rapping and Pictionary. More, the coaches waited until Thursday night to review Miami schemes and personnel with the players. And, finally, the Bruins sat in the hotel all day Friday - watching games instead of getting their blood flowing.

It showed.

``We were a little rusty at first,'' Bailey said. ``We hadn't played since Saturday and it was the latest game (of the night). We were a little sluggish.''

Henderson led UCLA with 26 points. Bailey added 21 points, seven assists and those 11 rebounds. But they had little help.

The freshman guards played like freshman guards, doing one thing right for every two mistakes - be they missed assignments, bad passes or sloppy ballhandling. Baron Davis dribbled off his foot in the first half, something he hasn't done since he was in diapers, then settled down and finished with 13 points.

Nor did the Bruins get any help from Johnson. He was in early foul trouble, never got comfortable with Miami's scratching and clawing, and finally departed with more fouls (five) than points (three).

``I can't think of a worse game I've played when it meant something,'' he said.

During stretches of the first half, Bailey was the only Bruin who seemed to care. He battled for rebounds and slashed into the Miami defense. Only once, early in the game, did he force a bad shot. He was the only player who retained the energy and emotion UCLA displayed against Arizona.

``I didn't want to lose in the first round,'' he said. ``I know how bad I felt after Princeton.''

Miami outrebounded UCLA 44-32 and showed why it's one of the best defensive teams in the nation, preventing the freewheeling Bruins from busting loose in the open court. The Hurricanes challenged every shot and slapped at every dribble. UCLA's 65 points tied a season low.

But the Hurricanes were, without question, the worst offensive team UCLA has faced this year. They committed 24 turnovers and shot 37.7 percent. With frontliners Tim James and Mario Bland on the bench with five fouls, the Hurricanes were out of weapons in the final minute.

Miami spent much of the game in a compact zone defense, smothering Henderson in the low post. The Bruins reacted as if it were their first experience with a zone, shooting 40.6 percent in the first half and looking completely unprepared.

``The way to attack it is with reckless abandon,'' Bailey said. ``We were a little tentative at first, but that went away and we all started to attack.''

Davis sliced for two layups to open the second half, then Earl Watson found Henderson behind the defense for an alley-oop. Suddenly, the Bruins had a six-point lead that, considering the pace, seemed like 16.

It expanded to 49-39, then UCLA faltered. Four straight scoreless possessions, combined with horrendous defense, gave the Hurricanes a final chance.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) UCLA coach Steve Lavin feels the grip of Miami's pressure before his team pulls away for the NCAA opening win.

Dave Martin / Associated Press

(2) A breakaway slam by UCLA's Baron Davis in the first half gave the Bruins a short-lived lead before the intermission.

John Bazemore / Associated Press