UCLA FINDS WAY TRAILING BY 19, BRUINS STORM BACK FOR CRITICAL WIN UCLA 83, CAL 62.

Byline: Jon Wilner Staff Writer

BERKELEY - The directions to the NCAA Tournament said nothing about this. They said nothing about reserve Billy Knight sparking a rally and center Dan Gadzuric playing the game of his life and fifth-place UCLA playing like the first-place Bruin teams of seasons past.

And they absolutely, positively said nothing about rallying from a 19- point first-half deficit to defeat Cal 83-62 Thursday night before 12,172 at Haas Pavilion.

Then again, the Bruins (16-11, 7-8) wear unpredictability like a badge of honor. They can be hypnotically good and shockingly bad. Sometimes, they're both in the same game, which explains their unforgettable performance Thursday night.

Trailing 33-14 with 6:30 left in the first half, the Bruins responded with a 16-2 surge and then took command with their best second half of the season. Maybe those double-digit losses to Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, USC and Oregon did some good, after all.

``We've been down a lot, and we know what it feels like,'' Bruins guard Earl Watson said. ``Nothing shocks us . . .

``There was no panic, no sign of frustration. We just said, `(Cal) is a red-hot team, and they're hitting big-time shots.' We stayed patient, and when the opportunity came, we took advantage.''

Jason Kapono scored 20 points and buried several critical 3-pointers. But Gadzuric was the hero, recovering from a wicked elbow from Cal center Nick Vander Laan to score a career-high 22 points and grab 16 rebounds. A former McDonald's All-American, Gadzuric played the game for which UCLA has waited almost two seasons.

``He gave them some life when they needed it,'' Cal coach Ben Braun said. ``He made a big difference.''

Gadzuric's timing couldn't have been better. The victory enabled UCLA to avoid its nightmare scenario - having to win at No. 1 Stanford on Saturday to keep its at-large hopes alive. If the Bruins beat the lowly Washington schools next week in Pauley Pavilion, they'll reach the 18-victory plateau that should secure an NCAA Tournament berth.

``It's been a roller-coaster ride emotionally,'' Bruins coach Steve Lavin said. ``To lose six of seven at UCLA doesn't play out well. But the kids kept plugging away and working, and now we can finish the season pretty strong.''

It didn't look that way when Cal bolted to 33-14 lead midway through the half. Every flaw, every weakness the Bruins have shown this season was on display - crammed into a brutal 10-minute stretch. They took bad shots, threw ridiculous passes, failed to execute their zone offense and played half-hearted defense.

``We weren't playing good team basketball,'' Kapono said. ``Plus, they were on fire.''

Then, just like that, everything changed. The Bruins regained their composure and their patience, then counterpunched. In the final 6:30 of the half, UCLA sliced Cal's 19-point lead to five by eliminating turnovers, moving the ball effectively and switching to a zone defense.

``We went to the zone down 19 points,'' Lavin said. ``That's something that's not usually done, but it's been an unusual season.''

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Photo: (color) Cal's Nick Vander Laan looks for breathing room while being covered by UCLA's Ryan Bailey, left, Sean Farnham and Jerome Moiso. Liz Hafalia/Associated Press