ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Lauren Betts scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting as No. 3 UCLA routed San Diego State 77-53 Monday night in the teams’ season opener.
Gabriela Jaquez contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Charlisse Leger-Walker added 12 points and five assists for the Bruins in what was billed as the Orange County Hoops Classic.
The Bruins made the 44-mile trip to the Honda Center in Orange County on the same night that the 12th-ranked UCLA men’s team opened their season at Pauley Pavilion. Coming off a Final Four appearance last season, UCLA has a challenging early schedule ahead, with six of their first eight games played at neutral sites, including two visits to Las Vegas within a three-week span.
For San Diego State, Kaelyn Hamilton led the way with 11 points, while Nat Martinez and Nala Williams added 10 points each. The Aztecs were more effective from behind the arc than the Bruins, hitting 10 of 25 three-point attempts, including three by Hamilton.
Despite being double-teamed most of the game, Betts, standing 6-foot-7, was the tallest player on the court and frequently outmuscled the Aztecs’ defense in the paint. UCLA dominated the boards, 49-25, with Amanda Muse contributing seven rebounds off the bench.
The Bruins broke the game open in the third quarter with a 16-2 run that extended their lead to 29 points, their largest margin of the night. During the run, Jaquez scored seven points and Betts added six. Although the Aztecs managed to outscore UCLA 14-5 in the final minutes of the quarter, they still trailed 58-38 heading into the fourth.
UCLA played without highly touted freshman Sienna Betts, younger sister of Lauren, as well as Timea Gardiner, the team’s leading three-point shooter last season, who is sidelined with a knee injury. Sienna Betts suffered a lower left leg injury during a scrimmage prior to the season.
With this win, the Bruins extended their winning streak against the Aztecs to seven games and now lead the all-time series 26-6.
**Up Next:**
San Diego State will host Cal State San Marcos on Saturday. Meanwhile, UCLA will host UC Santa Barbara for the Bruins’ home opener on Thursday.
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