UCLA GETS CSUNBURN PARRIS LEADS MATADORS TO UPSET WIN AT PAULEY CSUN 78, UCLA 74.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

Pigs were spotted flying in Los Angeles on Tuesday night and all ski lifts were reported operating in Hades.

And why not? On a night when Cal State Northridge beats UCLA in basketball - men's basketball - what isn't possible?

The Matadors, who won at Oregon and Fresno State last season, came into this season with grand ambitions. But rallying from a 13-point deficit for a 78-74 victory over 15th-ranked UCLA before a stunned crowd of 6,448 at Pauley Pavilion?

UCLA hasn't lost a nonconference home game to a Southern California school in 15 years. The Matadors had never before beaten a ranked team and had lost their four previous games to UCLA by an average margin of 17.2 points. While the Bruins have won 11 national championships, Cal State Northridge doesn't have room in its gym for 11 banners.

Call it the greatest sporting achievement in the history of the school, but don't call it a surprise.

``If (people) are shocked, it's a wakeup call for the rest of the country,'' said Matadors forward Jeff Parris, who, like his teammates reacted to the win in businesslike fashion. ``We're that good of a team.''

They were on Thursday, particularly the 6-foot-5 Parris, who bulled his way through the UCLA defense for career-high 27 points and the Matadors' defense, which befuddled UCLA for most of the night by alternating between its zone and man to man, with occasional traps.

UCLA turned the ball over 24 times and shot just 38.7 percent from the field in the second half, when they frittered away a seven-point lead.

Jason Kapono, the Bruins' best shooter, was a nonfactor after making a pair of 3-pointers in the first six minutes. He finished 2 for 8 from the field with six points. Point guard Earl Watson was just 5 of 14 from the field and turned the ball over seven times.

``Not to take anything away from Northridge, but we're disappointed with the way we played,'' UCLA coach Steve Lavin said. ``When we're not hitting shots, we need to be able to grind out wins with our defense and we weren't able to do that tonight.''

CSUN guard John Burrell added 17 points and Brian Heinle scored 10 of his 13 in the second half. But the man the Bruins could not stop was Parris, who strolled down the lane as if it were the Champs Elysees.

UCLA committed 10 fouls trying to guard him and just about everyone tried - T.J. Cummings, Matt Barnes, Ray Young and Billy Knight.

Parris, who made 8 of 11 shots from the field and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line, kept Northridge in the game in the first half, when Heinle and forward Joey Busch spent the final nine minutes before halftime on the bench with two fouls apiece.

UCLA, scoring easily in transition, built a 32-19 lead, but the Matadors held the Bruins to one basket over the final 6:53 and crept within 39-32 at the half.

Parris scored on a layin with 13:38 left to put CSUN ahead for good, 44-43. Heinle made it 46-43 with a drive to the basket and, after a UCLA timeout, Parris added two free throws and Heinle nailed an NBA-range 3- pointer to put the Matadors ahead 51-42.

The Bruins (1-2) got as close as 62-60 after Young hit a long 3-pointer and Barnes made two free throws with 3:28 left. But Parris, with UCLA trapping, drove past his man at midcourt and scored on a layin to put CSUN ahead 64-60.

After Young missed, the Matadors ran the shot clock down to :03 before point guard Markus Carr pulled up for a 25-footer from the top of the key that gave CSUN a 67-60 lead with 2:25 left.

``It's incredible,'' said Carr, who grew up in Palmdale. ``I grew up watching Ed O'Bannon, Charles O'Bannon and Toby Bailey, wishing I could play at this school. To come in here and beat them is even better. You dream of big things as a child and to be able to look back and say you've accomplished something like this is great. I'm speechless.''

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Photo: (color) Cal State Northridge's John Burrell, center, goes up for a shot against UCLA during the Matadors' 78-74 upset win.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Box: HEAD TO HEAD