As Darren Collison goes, so goes UCLA.

And the top-ranked Bruins were as bad as their point guard in the first half against Washington State. He had zero points, three turnovers, three fouls and his team trailed by 10.

Collison rebounded in the final 20 minutes, scoring 13 points and hitting a 3-pointer that put UCLA ahead for good in a 55-52 victory last night in Los Angeles.

"I wasn't concerned with how bad I was doing, I just wanted to win," Collison said. "I wanted to pick up the intensity offensively and defensively."

Arron Afflalo added 13 points and Josh Shipp had 11 points playing on a sprained right ankle to keep the Bruins (12-0) as one of four undefeated Top 25 teams. Shipp injured himself at the end of practice Tuesday.

"Our offense was really inept," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "To be able to win a game shooting 33 percent doesn't happen very often."

Washington State (11-2) dropped to 0-25 all-time against top-ranked teams, including 0-17 against the Bruins.

Derrick Low, an 'Iolani School graduate, led the Cougars with 14 points and four assists, and Nikola Koprivica added 12 points, but missed a tying 3-pointer as time expired that Collison got a fingertip on.

"I thought we had them," said Low, who also missed a late 3-point attempt. "I felt like I let the team down."

The Bruins are 50-1 against the Cougars in Los Angeles.

"We're a little numb right now," first-year Cougars coach Tony Bennett said. "Some turnovers were really costly at crunch time."

Neither team led by more than two points during a 6-minute stretch late in the second half until Collison hit his second 3-pointer for a 48-45 lead.

Afflalo turned the ball over, then fouled Weaver, causing UCLA to lose possession with 4 1/2 minutes left clinging to a one-point lead. But the Bruins caught a break when the Cougars lost the ball out of bounds.

Shipp's ensuing steal and layup, followed by a 3-pointer from Michael Roll extended UCLA's lead to 53-47 — its largest of the game — with 3:29 remaining.

Koprivica's 3-pointer got the Cougars to 53-50. The Bruins were called for a held ball, giving the Cougars possession and Ivory Clark dunked off a Low assist to make it 53-52.

Collison's layup rolled around the rim and out with 25 seconds left.

After a timeout, the Cougars worked the ball around to Low, whose 3-pointer fell short with 6 seconds left. Clark fouled Afflalo going for the rebound, and Afflalo made both to keep UCLA ahead 55-52 before Koprivica's long-range miss.

"Derrick got a look," said Bennett. "Nikola had a good look, too, but it just didn't fall. We've been in some heartbreaking losses here."

UNLV 74, TEXAS TECH 66

LUBBOCK, Texas — Steve Alford, John Havlicek, Jerry Tarkanian and Fuzzy Zoeller traveled to cotton country to see Bob Knight make history.

If they don't mind sticking around a few days, they can watch him try again.

Knight's Texas Tech team fell behind UNLV early and never recovered, losing, 74-66, last night to leave him tied with Dean Smith atop the men's Division I win list.

Knight's next chance for No. 880 will come Monday at home against New Mexico.

Tech (10-4) came in as the nation's most-accurate 3-point shooting team, but made only 1 of 12. UNLV (12-2) was 11 of 25 from behind the arc.

ALASCOM JAMBOREE

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Kenny Barker scored 24 points and Jushay Rockett contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds as Alaska-Fairbanks beat Hawai'i-Hilo, 85-74, yesterday in the AT&T Alascom Jamboree.

Barry Barnes Jr. added 14 points and six assists for the Nanooks (8-5), who took the lead for good at 8-6 and led by as many as 16. Vince Alvarado and Justin Dobson each scored 17 points, and Travis Sobers added 12 points for the Vulcans (3-8).

In the second game, host Alaska-Anchorage defeated Brigham Young-Hawai'i, 79-68.

Joe Davis and Carl Arte each scored 20 points to lead Alaska-Anchorage (8-2), which led 40-31 at halftime.

Lucas Alves scored 17 points and Eric Boyce and Paul Peterson each added nine points for BYUH (8-3).