UCLA senior forward T.J. Cummings is set to regain his academic eligibility, according to coach Ben Howland.

“I’ve gone from being cautiously optimistic to almost certain that T.J. will be eligible,” Howland said following the Loyola Marymount game Saturday night.

Cummings completed his final exams Friday and must pass 18 units this quarter in order to become eligible. He learned Saturday that he had passed the class he was most concerned with and is waiting on one more grade, Howland said.

The 6-foot-9 power forward was declared ineligible in August, causing him to miss the Bruins’ two exhibition games and first four regular-season games. He has been practicing with the team and should be available for Wednesday’s game against UC Santa Barbara once his status if finalized.

Cummings, who averaged 10.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, would provide a much-needed scoring threat for a team that already lacks depth.

UCLA has recently been hit hard by academic troubles, losing forward Andre Patterson in the off-season when he flunked out of school for the second time in two years.

INJURY REPORT: Freshman forward Trevor Ariza made his UCLA debut Saturday after suffering a collapsed lung during practice on Nov. 28 and missing the season’s first three games.

Ariza, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder through the pre-season, had been expected to miss the game, but was able to practice lightly Thursday and Friday.

He also had been expected to play just 10-15 minutes, but ended up playing 32, racking up 14 points, seven rebounds and a key assist.

In the final seconds of overtime, he fumbled the ball toward guard Cedric Bozeman, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

“It was a pass,” Ariza said, laughing. “I’m not saying anything else.”

Ariza, who will have a precautionary X-ray on his lung Monday, received the extra minutes after center Michael Fey was poked in the left eye in the first half and was sent to the emergency room at UCLA Medical Center.

Fey’s status for the UCSB game is unknown.

DRIBBLERS: Forward Dijon Thompson, suffering from a bad stomachache, raced off the court and into the locker room before LMU’s final possession … Bozeman pulled down 10 rebounds and forward Josiah Johnson had nine, as they both set new career-highs … Ryan Walcott has apparently won the battle for backup point guard, playing six minutes. Howland had pitted him in practice against shooting guard Jon Crispin, who has yet to appear in a game this year.