A Fresh UCLA Victory : College basketball: Dempsey and Burns play key roles in helping the Bruins hold off Notre Dame, 68-65.

Freshmen Kevin Dempsey and Marquis Burns combined for seven points, seven assists and six rebounds Sunday as UCLA defeated Notre Dame, 68-65, at Pauley Pavilion.

Between them, they played 33 minutes.

Without them, the Bruins might have repeated last Sunday’s performance against California, a 22-point loss that resulted in extensive criticism of Coach Jim Harrick.

But nobody was booing Sunday as UCLA improved to 14-5 with the help of its Baby Bruins.

Giving UCLA needed inspiration, Dempsey and Burns played hard-nosed defense and took advantage of each opportunity.

“Coach told me to make something happen,” Burns said.

So, he pressured hot-shooting Ryan Hoover, got two rebounds and led a fast break that was completed with a nice assist to Shon Tarver, one of three assists by Burns.

After starting slowly, Dempsey made two big three-point shots in the span of about 90 seconds. The 6-foot-6 Dempsey also positioned himself underneath the basket for four rebounds.

“He’s a street fighter,” Lorenzo Romar, a Bruin assistant, said of Dempsey. “He won’t back down from anyone.”

UCLA coaches hoped some of the reserves would step up as the season progressed. They were encouraged by Dempsey, a swingman from San Jose, and Burns, a guard from Reseda High.

Said Rodney Zimmerman, a reserve center who also has increased his productivity in the last two weeks: “Everyone knows they could score, but (Dempsey and Burns) showed me they could play defense today.”

After reveling in the Bruins’ season-best 51 points in the first half of a 90-80 victory over USC Thursday night, UCLA’s faithful had to be happy with the defensive effort Sunday.

It seemed to be enough to keep the 6,251 fans from booing the home team.

Perhaps they were too engrossed in the drama at the finish, when Richard Petruska, the Bruins’ 6-10 center, rebounded Monty Williams’ three-point attempt with seven seconds left to assure the victory.

The final Irish attempt to tie the score was designed for Hoover, a freshman guard from Roscoe, Ill., who scored 17 points on seven-of-11 shooting. But as the play unfolded, the Bruins made the necessary adjustments to cover him, and Hoover had to pass.

He found Williams near the top of the key, and although closely guarded, the lanky forward shot. Petruska was underneath to get his 10th rebound as the ball bounced off the rim.

Coach John MacLeod of Notre Dame said he was disappointed with the way the play unfolded because he wanted a shot away from the mass of players near the top of the key.

But UCLA’s defense had as much to do with that as the Irish shot selection.

Harrick said: “We wanted to switch everything outside to not give up a three-point shot.”

So, despite stretches of lethargic play, UCLA escaped unscathed.

“This is a streaky, young team,” Harrick said.

UCLA started cold against the Irish. After about 5 1/2 minutes, Notre Dame (8-9) held a 12-6 lead. But during the next 5:19, the Bruins outscored the Irish, 14-0, with Petruska scoring eight points. Continuing his strong play from Thursday night, the Bruin center had 12 points in the first half and ended with 16 to lead UCLA.

But Petruska, a transfer from Loyola Marymount, struggled with his free throws, making two of eight. Instead of putting away the game, UCLA looked sluggish at the beginning of the second half. It took the Irish two minutes to close the deficit, and for the next 18 minutes the teams played a rugged, close game.

UCLA led, 45-40, with 14:47 left, before Notre Dame bounced back to take a 51-47 lead. But Tarver found his range in a 10-0 spurt, and the Bruins regained the advantage.

By then, Dempsey and Burns were in the lineup, and they were not about to let their teammates get down.

Bruin Notes

UCLA forward Ed O’Bannon had 13 points and seven rebounds, and point guard Tyus Edney had 13 points and seven assists. O’Bannon, the Bruins’ leading scorer, has been double- and triple-teamed, resulting in reduced offensive output. “I can’t be bothered by that, but at the same time, it is a little frustrating,” O’Bannon said. . . . Edney said he was suffering from a mild case of strep throat. . . . UCLA leads its series against Notre Dame, 24-17, but has won only two of the last six meetings. . . . Eleven of UCLA’s 14 victories this season have been by a margin of 10 or fewer points.

Rodney Zimmerman, the Bruins’ 6-foot-9 backup center, had eight blocks and seven rebounds before fouling out. But he was dissatisfied with his performance. “I get too far underneath the basket,” he said. “I need to improve on blocking out.”