Bruins' First-Half Defensive Masterpiece Leads to 40-Point Route of Lehigh

UCLA dominated Lehigh with a 40-point victory on Friday, earning its third win of the season.

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) drives to the basket over Rider Broncs forward Tank Byard (8) during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA had no trouble with Lehigh on Friday night, holding its opponent under 50 points for the second game in a row in what was an 85-45 victory for the Bruins in their home of Pauley Pavilion.

They dominated the Mountain Hawks from nearly start to finish. Not only was it evident on the scoreboard but also on the boards, as UCLA outrebounded Lehigh 47 to 18.

The Bruins were led by sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr, who finished with a double-double -- 17 points and 10 rebounds, both of which were team-highs.

It was UCLA's defense in the first half that dictated the tone of the game.

The Mountain Hawks' first points gave them their only lead of the contest before the Bruins went on a 9-0 run, capped off by a triple from junior guard Skyy Clark just under 5 minutes in. UCLA added to the run with 4 more points before the Mountain Hawks finally found the bottom of the net with a bucket from Lehigh senior guard Keith Higgins Jr., ending what had been an almost 5-and-a-half-minute scoring drought for the visitors.

Higgins would drain one from beyond the arc shortly after, bringing the Mountain Hawks to within 5. He then converted an and-1 on the next Lehigh possession, making it just a 2-point game with nearly 10 and a half minutes to go in the half.

But the Mountain Hawks' offense would go quiet for more than 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, UCLA junior forward Tyler Bilodeau strung together 6 straight points, 4 of which came from the charity stripe. He would later knock one down from range to give the Bruins a 19-point lead.

The Mountain Hawks finally got back on the board with a free throw from none other than Higgins, who went into halftime having scored 11 of Lehigh's 16 first-half points.

UCLA sophomore center Aday Mara closed the half with 4 straight points. He posted 6 in the final 2 minutes of the half.

The Bruins went into the break with a 44-16 lead.

UCLA built on its lead in the second, though its defense let up a bit, as the Mountain Hawks would nearly triple their first-half total.

But it wasn't enough, as the Bruins kept scoring. Almost 6 and a half minutes into the second half, they started an 18-5 run that ran until the 8:97 mark. Of those 18 points, 8 came from Dailey.

A little while alter, with just over 4 and half minutes remaining, Mara hit a shot to give UCLA a 40-point lead, its largest of the night.

Mara registered 16 points on the evening, the second-most of any Bruin. He added six boards as well.

UCLA's win over Lehigh gives it its second straight and third overall on the young season. The Bruins improve to 3-1 and will look to earn their fifth victory when they host Idaho State on Wednesday.

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