University Of California At Los Angeles

It may have been the first time in the glorious history of UCLA basketball at Pauley Pavilion that one Bruins fan could turn to another and legitimately ask: "Did they nail a lid on our rim?" My kingdom for a horse -- or a layup. They call it "hoops," and for a span of 12 minutes 20 seconds on Saturday, UCLA couldn't buy one. Not a jump shot, not a put-back, not a slam dunk . . . nada. Arizona State's 61-58 overtime victory over UCLA was so stranglehold-strange.

Pick a moment, a meaningful statistic, anything that might explain UCLA's frustration. Start with the final eight minutes of regulation, an interminable stretch during which the Bruins squandered an 11-point lead by failing to score a single point. Add a careless foul that sent the game into overtime. Finish with the clock ticking down, a chance to tie, a few aimless passes and not even a shot. "We were just trying our hardest out there, trying to get baskets," forward Josh Shipp said.

The coach couldn't sleep. The players went looking for any modicum of solace they could find. "I get home and it's all silent," guard Darren Collison said. "My parents are taking it harder than I'm taking it." It has been that kind of week for anyone associated with UCLA basketball, the Bruins coming off a disheartening loss to Arizona State, a Pacific 10 Conference game they let slip away. "We're all pretty bummed," swingman Michael Roll said.

The team that UCLA plays tonight knows what it feels like to start the season with big shoes to fill. While the 13th-ranked Bruins lost three players to the NBA over the summer, Washington State is learning to live without guards Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low who, along with forward Robbie Cowgill, led the team last season. And just like UCLA, the Cougars are asking their remaining upperclassmen to step up. "They have to play at a high level," Coach Tony Bennett said.

This time, Darren Collison wasn't going to let it happen. This time, as his team blew yet another lead down the stretch, the UCLA point guard told himself that he needed to get tough. Tough as in waving his teammates out of the paint, diving into the thick of the defense. Tough as in drawing fouls and making his free throws, making clutch baskets in the final minutes.

Forget the coaching adage about treating every opponent the same. That's not how Washington built a home winning streak against UCLA. Every time the Bruins have ventured into Bank of America Arena over the last four seasons, they have come away losers. "You've got to be excited for every game, but . . . ," Washington forward Jon Brockman said. "UCLA has been such a high-profile team, it's been a game our guys have gotten really amped up for."

Let the gash across Alfred Aboya's forehead serve as a metaphor. The UCLA center walked off the court at Bank of America Arena needing three stitches after taking an elbow from Washington's Jon Brockman, and that pretty much summed up a tough Saturday afternoon. The 13th-ranked Bruins were roughed up by the quicker and more aggressive Huskies, letting a close game dissolve into a not-so-close 86-75 loss that left the players wondering.

There was no question that Alfred Aboya picked a bad time to receive the first technical foul of his career. The usually placid UCLA center acknowledged that he lost his cool in the heat of Saturday's 86-75 loss to Washington at Bank of America Arena. The Bruins were leading by three points and had stopped Washington on defense. But then Aboya leaned over fallen Huskies guard Venoy Overton. "I told him to stop flopping because he always flops," Aboya said. "And I tried to help him up."

It might be too early in the season to classify UCLA's game against California on Thursday as a must-win situation. But it feels that way to the players. Losing two of their last three, the 17th-ranked Bruins have fallen into a tie for second place in the Pacific 10, unfamiliar territory for a team with three consecutive conference titles. As freshman guard Jrue Holiday said: "Something needs to change." Last week's defeat at Washington prompted center Drew Gordon to question the team's heart.

The mood around the UCLA basketball program was less than jubilant this week. As guard Darren Collison put it, "This team is sick to its stomach from losing." Two defeats in three games can have that effect. The Bruins, slipping down the national rankings to No. 17, might have resorted to gallons of Pepto-Bismol, but Thursday night they found something better. Defensive pressure that generated 16 steals and forced 21 turnovers.