By KALANI TAKASE The Associated Press
HONOLULU — The UCLA women’s basketball team rolled to an easy win in its first game as the nation’s top-ranked team.
Lauren Betts scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while Gabriela Jaquez added 17 points to help the Bruins rout Tennessee-Martin, 97-37, on the opening day of the Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Friday afternoon.
The Bruins (6-0) never trailed and shot 53% from the field while holding the Skyhawks (1-5) to 24%.
Betts, a 6-foot-7 junior center, recorded her fourth double-double in as many games and her fifth of the season. Londynn Jones and Timea Gardiner scored 11 points apiece and Janiah Barker added 10 for UCLA. Barker also tallied seven rebounds and five assists.
Jaquez made all eight of her shot attempts for UCLA, which scored 40 points off of 28 UTM turnovers, while the Skyhawks managed only four points off of 14 turnovers by the Bruins.
UCLA, which moved up to No. 1 in the poll for the first time on Monday after defeating previous No. 1 South Carolina, outrebounded UTM 47-29. The Bruins also dominated points in the paint (48-10); bench points (54-16) and fast-break points (23-2).
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UTM used a 7-0 run early to pull within 10-9 on Kenley McCain’s 15-foot jumper with 5:50 left in the first quarter, but UCLA answered with an 11-0 run that was sparked by a Barker 3-pointer.
UCLA led at halftime 44-20.
Anaya Brown scored seven points for UTM.
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UCLA will play Fresno State on Saturday at 2 p.m. PT