Sienna Betts Scores Career-High 17 as No. 11 UCLA Blanks UC Irvine in the Fourth and Wins 78-42

LOS ANGELES. The scoreboard said UC Irvine had 42 points with 10 minutes to play. It still said 42 when the horn sounded. No. 11 UCLA closed its 78-42 win over UC Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 5, at Pauley Pavilion by holding the Anteaters scoreless for the entire fourth quarter, and Sienna Betts set a career high with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting.

Elina Aarnisalo added 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, Timea Gardiner scored 12, and KK Bransford had 10 points and four steals. UCLA moved to 2-0 with its second home win in four days. UC Irvine, playing its season opener, fell to 0-1.

Here is the official box score (opens in a new tab), UCLA's recap (opens in a new tab) and the AP recap (opens in a new tab).

A fast start

Betts scored on a short basket 12 seconds into the game, according to the AP, and UCLA never trailed. The Bruins' defense did the rest of the early work. UC Irvine made just 3 of 13 shots in the first quarter, per UCLA, and the Bruins came up with six steals and forced eight turnovers in the period. Somto Okafor, a freshman, had three of those steals in the first quarter alone.

UCLA led 23-8 after one quarter. The Anteaters were not getting clean looks, and when they did get into the half court, the Bruins' size around the rim made every shot difficult.

The second quarter started with a pair of 3-pointers. Gardiner, a fifth-year senior, hit back-to-back shots from the top of the key, according to UCLA, and finished the first half with a team-high 10 points. Betts was efficient inside, making 4 of 5 shots in the half for eight points.

UC Irvine played better in the second quarter, scoring 13 points, but UCLA scored 19 and went to the locker room ahead 42-21. The Bruins had doubled up the Anteaters over 20 minutes.

UC Irvine's best stretch

To its credit, UC Irvine did not fold after halftime. The third quarter was the Anteaters' best of the night by a wide margin. They scored 21 points in the period, as many as they had in the entire first half, and UCLA won the quarter by only one point, 22-21.

UCLA's damage in the third came from its defense again. The Bruins forced three early turnovers, and Bransford, a fifth-year guard, turned two of them into layups, per UCLA. Aarnisalo hit an early 3 and then found Gardiner for a fast-break basket. Even with UC Irvine finding some rhythm, the lead never got close to threatening. UCLA carried a 64-42 advantage into the fourth.

A fourth-quarter shutout

Then came the part of the night that will stand out on the stat sheet for a long time. UC Irvine went 0 for 11 from the field in the fourth quarter and committed seven turnovers, according to the AP. The Anteaters did not score a single point in the period. UCLA added 14 of its own to finish a 14-0 quarter.

UCLA's bench was part of that closing stretch. Bonnie Deas and Addy Brown combined for eight rebounds in the fourth quarter, per UCLA, and the Bruins controlled the glass so completely that UC Irvine rarely got a second chance.

Shutting out an opponent for a full quarter is rare at any level. It is especially telling for a UCLA team that is still blending new players into its rotation. The Bruins played 10 players, and every one of them was on the floor for at least seven minutes.

The full box score backs up what the fourth quarter showed. UC Irvine shot 14 of 59 from the field, 24 percent, and made just 3 of 22 from 3-point range. UCLA outscored the Anteaters 40-14 in the paint, according to the AP, and won the rebounding battle 50-34.

The Bruins shot 31 of 68, 46 percent, and assisted on 25 of their 31 baskets. Three players had five assists apiece: Aarnisalo, Donovyn Hunter and Brown. UCLA forced 20 turnovers and came up with 11 steals.

The assist gap told a similar story. UC Irvine finished with nine assists on its 14 made baskets, while UCLA's ball movement produced 25. The Anteaters did generate some defense of their own, with 10 steals, three of them from White, and UCLA's 16 offensive rebounds gave the Bruins plenty of extra chances to keep the pressure on.

There were a few things to clean up. UCLA committed 17 turnovers of its own, six of them by Aarnisalo, and made only 6 of 24 from 3-point range. The Bruins also went 10 of 15 at the free throw line, while UC Irvine made 11 of 13. Those numbers did not matter on this night, but they are the kind of details a top-15 team will want to tighten before Big Ten play.

Who stood out

Betts was the most efficient player on the floor. The sophomore made 8 of 10 shots from the field and added four rebounds, two assists and a block in 21 minutes. Betts scored 15 in the season-opening win over Lehigh on Nov. 2 and topped that three days later. Betts did pick up four fouls, which helped keep the minutes down.

Aarnisalo, a junior guard, filled the box score with 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting, 2 of 5 from deep, plus five rebounds and five assists. Gardiner made 5 of 12 shots and 2 of 5 from 3, and added five rebounds, a block and a steal. Bransford's 10 points came on 3-of-10 shooting and 3-of-5 free throws, but the four steals were the bigger contribution.

Hunter, a senior guard, did not score much, but the line was clean: six points, five assists, five rebounds and no turnovers in 23 minutes.

Off the bench, Brown had six points, eight rebounds and five assists. Okafor added six points, five rebounds and three steals, and Deas grabbed seven rebounds and hit a 3 for five points. Amanda Muse made 1 of 1 from the field and had two assists and a block in 14 minutes. UCLA's reserves scored 19 points.

The view from UC Irvine

For the Anteaters, Delaney White led the way with 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting off the bench, plus five rebounds and three steals. Ahrray Young recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, four of them offensive, and went 3 of 3 at the free throw line. Shirel Nahum scored nine on 3-of-5 shooting but had five turnovers.

The backcourt struggled to score. Lauryn Madsen went 0 for 4, all from 3-point range, though Madsen handed out four assists in 26 minutes. Gracie Gallegos was 0 for 3, and Sarah Miller made 1 of 5. UC Irvine's starters and bench each scored 21 points.

The third quarter showed what UC Irvine can look like when shots fall, and 21 points against a ranked Big Ten opponent is a real stretch to build on. The fourth quarter showed the other side. UC Irvine's next game was at Northern Arizona on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

The closing take

UCLA hosts Arizona on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Pauley Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT on Big Ten Network.

This was the kind of win a top-15 team is supposed to produce against a mid-major in early November, but the fourth quarter took it a step further. Forty minutes of basketball, and UCLA's defense owned two of the four quarters outright: an eight-point first and a scoreless fourth. Betts' career night will be the headline. The bigger takeaway is a deep, versatile roster that shared the ball, won the glass and showed it can shut a game down when it wants to.

Sources: ESPN, AP, UCLA Athletics (uclabruins.com).

Photo: Caren Nicdao/UCLA Athletics.