IDEAL MCCOY LEADS UCLA\UCLA 87, Arizona 73.

Byline: Jon Wilner Daily News Staff Writer

Arizona State coach Bill Frieder has made bundles in the stock market and says he's banned from Las Vegas casinos for counting cards.

As college basketball coaches go, he's good with numbers.

But Thursday night, Frieder missed the mark when he said, "Jelani McCoy's stats were probably 10 times our whole frontline's stats."

The miscalculation was understandable. After all, Frieder had just watched the Bruins' precocious freshman score a career-high 21 points, grab 10 rebounds and dominate Arizona State's woeful starting frontline, which mustered just five points and six rebounds.

"Our weakness was with McCoy," Frieder said after UCLA's 87-73 victory, before 11,081 at the University Activity Center. "He was one of the big differences."

McCoy dominated because he physically overwhelmed his opposition - just as Kris Johnson did to Cal's guards when he scored 36 points on Saturday, and as J.R. Henderson did to Washington State's forwards when he scored 29 earlier this month.

"I want this to be the kind of team that has somebody different (leading in scoring) every night," coach Jim Harrick said. "It was Johnson Saturday. It was McCoy tonight. . . . Every night I want somebody to step up and have a huge game."

McCoy made 10 of 13 shots and attained double-figure rebounds for the fifth straight game. But he was not the only reason for the Bruins' 14th consecutive victory over the Sun Devils - and 10th straight overall.

The others were UCLA's defense, which held the Sun Devils to 36.7 percent shooting; Arizona State's poor free-throw shooting (58.8 percent); and Bruins point guard Cameron Dollar, who steadied the offense with nine points, five assists and a couple of steals.

"Cameron slowed us down," Johnson said. "He did an excellent job getting some steals, mixing it up and changing the complexion of the game. He doesn't put up the stats. But his presence has a calming influence on us."

They needed it. This was not the fluid, precise canvas of the Cal victory. It was an explosion in a paint store, sloppy and rhythmless, with 24 missed free throws, 36 turnovers and 47 fouls - including a technical on Charles O'Bannon, his third in two weeks, for taunting.

The antic landed O'Bannon on the bench for the final 16:42. "I don't want that anymore," Harrick said. "I've had enough."

The Bruins (12-3, 5-0) missed O'Bannon's defense. Toby Bailey, Johnson and Dollar were unable to stop Arizona State's gunners, Ron Riley and Jeremy Veal, who combined for 55 points and kept the Sun Devils within striking range for most of the second half.

Of course, UCLA's struggle was of its own doing. It snoozed into halftime, permitting the Sun Devils to slice a 17-point lead to nine in the final minutes of the half.

"I was happy with the game until three minutes to go in the first half," Harrick said. "A year ago we were the kind of team that could put teams away. But we can't do that - we're not that good."

Arizona State maintained a shred of momentum early in the second half. After O'Bannon's technical, Veal hit two free throws and a jumper, then freshman Duane Davis hit a 3-pointer from the left baseline to pull the Sun Devils within 51-44 with 15:51 left. And at that moment, with the crowd suddenly involved and the Arizona State bench on its feet, the Bruins seemed headed for trouble.

But Bailey - who has been superb in the clutch in recent weeks - answered with a 3-pointer. Then a Dollar steal turned into a McCoy dunk, and the crowd was silent.

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Photo (color) UCLA's Toby Bailey loses the ball as he's fouled by ASU's Quincy Brewer. Associated Press