Westwood, CA- UCLA women’s basketball held their home opener at Pauley Pavilion on Monday an hour earlier than the controversial game six tipoff time of the WNBA finals, and no one made any viral complaints about the defending NCAA champions, playing late in the morning, after winning 73-53 over Lehigh.
Lady Bruins were back in action for a game designated to schools across the city to take a field trip filling up the arena and welcomed with a slow start and swift substitutions in the first quarter that had UCLA head coach Cori Close on a swivel as she turned constantly to swap out her bench with several roster rotations.
“I think they’re [Timea Gardner and Sienna Betts] going to be really good together and all four of our forwards have really brought some different things from Amanda Muse to Sienna Betts to Addie Brown and Timea Gardiner,” coach Close said to fi360news during postgame presser. “If this was the NCAA tournament, I probably would have come out the second half and played four guards and just it would have made things so much easier. But I wanted us to have to push and to conquer some things even though style of play might have made some different adjustments if it wasn’t something I thought we needed to grow into…And so we’re still learning sort of like the way that Sienna goes about her moves and she really likes to initiate off the bounce, but she’s got to be careful and how we relocate a little bit different than how we did last year. So some of those things are still we’re thinking more than we are just fluid, but I really am excited about what that pair can grow into the front court.
UCLA and Lehigh were not a March Madness tournament matchup as both teams came out a little tight, finding themselves tied at the end of the first quarter, 17-17. Then it appeared the Lady Bruins got into a rhythm on offense fueled by their defense to score in some delayed transitions plays. One of those plays came from returning forward Gardiner, whom hit a three on the wing, midway in the second quarter, putting her team up, 28-20.
I think she’s [Gardiner] better. I really do. I think she has a mentality where the the game is slowing down for her and I thought she pressed a little bit today, but I think it was just excitement,” coach Close said to fi360news. “Our family’s here and first time playing back in Paulie but I actually think she’s playing better basketball than she was even pre-injury and I’m very excited about what she’s going to do this year.”
While Bruins built up momentum entering halftime with a shot clock violation, they hadn’t figured out how to distance themselves after allowing Mountain Hawks to chop down their lead, 32-27.
Second half started with a different energy or urgency as UCLA came into an offensive flow led by TCU Transfer Donovyn Hunter whom finished her first home game debut with 14 points.
UCLA returning sophomore and Lauren Betts’ little sister, Sienna Betts led all scorers with 15 points and 7 rebounds despite 5 turnovers. Also, Notre Dame transfer KK Bransford added 10 points.
“Obviously that Texas loss really fired us up and it really exposed our weaknesses, which is good,” Betts said to fi360news. “It’s what we want and I think a loss this early in the season is is going to really propel us for us in the direction we need. I think this game was obviously very different team, very different offenses, obviously different scout. I think we’re really learning about our effort and how we need to start out in the beginning of games.“
“I think piggybacking off of her, we need as much experience as we can get going into March,” Hunter said to fi360News. “..And so I think it’s a lot of change.
UCLA does not appear to be of the same caliber of the previous championship team which Texas exposed some of that diminishing in their last exhibition game. Yet, UCLA still has the same leader in Coach Close that coached her team into a lopsided championship victory and today led her team into a 20-point win after coming out in second half to outscore Lehigh by 14 points in the third quarter, 55-36.
I think coach Cori has had the same standards most of her career and it doesn’t matter what anyone’s going to say or whatever happens,” Betts said to fi360news. “She knows what she believes in and I really love that about her and how she coaches— having patience with new people, learning the system is great and she has had that but you know it’s season time now and we have to really focus.”
UCLA turned the ball over five times less than Lehigh and out-rebounded them, 41-25.
“I’ve said to people all along that I thought this group was going to take a little time with so many new things to develop a chemistry, Coach Close said to fi360news during presser. “right now we’re a lot of hopeful pieces that are really good and for us to develop into a unit that’s better together and collectively than we ever would be individually. That’s where we have to get to in the next six weeks or so.”
Next up this Thursday for Lady Bruins of their five game homestead is UC Irvine Anteaters, with a much later tipoff in the evening at 7p.
