BRUINS SECURE A MUCH-NEEDED WIN UCLA 85, OSU 74.

Byline: Jon Wilner

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Finally, some highlights on a school night.

After three forgettable weekday showings - three defeats fraught with last-second breakdowns, atrocious ballhandling and poor effort - the UCLA Bruins finally got it right on a school night.

And in impressive fashion.

The Bruins played their best 11 minutes of the season when they needed it most, turning an 11-point second-half deficit into an 85-74 victory over Oregon State on Thursday before 6,014 at Gill Coliseum.

The win kept UCLA (12-5, 3-3) on a reasonable pace for the 18 wins it probably needs to secure an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. It also relieved the Saturday squeeze they've felt each week since the calendar turned. Now, no matter what happens in Oregon's deafening McArthur Court on Saturday evening, the Bruins have the weekend split they desperately needed.

``This was as impressive a collective effort as we've had all season,'' coach Steve Lavin said.

That was indisputable after the Bruins turned a 56-45 deficit into a 69-59 lead with five minutes left. (That's a 24-3 surge for those keeping score at home.) They they handled the ball with care, passed with flair and overwhelmed Oregon State with their frontline.

``They did the things they needed to do,'' Beavers coach Eddie Payne said. ``They went inside. They had good possessions. They took care of the ball.''

UCLA center Dan Gadzuric broke from his slump to score 13 points, including nine in the decisive surge. Jason Kapono was masterful in the 24-3 run, setting up countless baskets with deft passes. Point guard Earl Watson had just two turnovers in 39 minutes. And guard Ray Young followed his impressive defensive effort against Arizona State's Eddie House with a career-high 22 points against the Beavers.

``We played as a team, we played hard, and we played defense,''Kapono said. ``We had the total package tonight. Dan and Jerome (Moiso) were going inside. We had the perimeter thing going. Earl (Watson) was doing his thing. We had it flowing.''

The turning point came during a timeout with 11:42 left. Lavin did not make a dramatic tactical shift; instead, he implored the Bruins to play the same tenacious defense that sparked their victory over Arizona State. The Bruins responded by holding Oregon State without a basket for seven minutes; meanwhile, they scored on 11 consecutive possessions.

``It was our ability to get stops that created our offense,'' Lavin said. ``When we're more aggressive on defense, we execute better on offense.''

In the second half, the Bruins had two turnovers (not a misprint) and held Oregon State to 32.3 percent shooting. They turned the misses into transition baskets or rhythm jumpers, many by Young and Kapono, before the Beavers set their halfcourt defense.

``When they get that outside presence from Young, it really makes them tough,'' Payne said.

UCLA opened the second half with one basket and two turnovers in four possessions. Meanwhile, the Beavers scored at will and grabbed a 48-38 lead when guard Dino Tanner sliced through UCLA's defense for a layup.

Matt Barnes quieted the crowd with a nifty drive, then Moiso wheeled past a defender for a thunder dunk. Oregon State regrouped brieflyon Tanner's 3-pointer. But after the timeout with 11 minutes left, the Bruins began their most-impressive charge of the season.

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Photo: Jimmie Haywood of Oregon State pressures UCLA's Earl Watson during first-half play in UCLA's 85-74 win over the Beavers Thursday night at OSU's Gill Coliseum.

Beth Buglione/Associated Press