No. 11 UCLA women begin their NCAA title defense with win over Lehigh
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- Sienna Betts finishes with 15 points and seven rebounds as the defending champion UCLA women’s basketball team defeats Lehigh in its season opener.
Sienna Betts scored 15 points, Donovyn Hunter added 14 and defending national champion UCLA, ranked No. 11, used a big third quarter to turn back Lehigh 73-53 on Monday.
In the first meeting between the two schools, the Bruins made 10 of 15 shots in the third quarter and held the Mountain Hawks to three of 13, stretching a 32-27 halftime lead to 55-36.
KK Bransford added 10 points for UCLA, which returns five players but had six taken in the WNBA draft — five in the first round. The Bruins will raise their championship banner on Nov. 15 at the end of their five-game homestand.
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Leia Edwards had 13 points and eight rebounds for Lehigh, which lost in the Patriot League title game last year before going to the WNIT. Gracyn Lovette had 10 points.
Ryann Jennings hit a three-pointer to open the second quarter, ending a 10-0 run that gave the Mountain Hawks a 20-17 lead. Four players scored, three with three-pointers, as UCLA responded with an 11-0 lead. Elina Aarnisalo had seven points in an 11-0 spurt in the third that put the lead in double figures for good.
UCLA had a 41-25 rebounding advantage and turned 20 turnovers into 23 points.
Up next for UCLA: vs. UC Irvine at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday.
