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

They dominated the Mountain Hawks from start to finish. This was not only evident on the scoreboard, but also on the boards, as UCLA overwhelmed Lehigh 47-18.

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

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

The Mountain Hawks’ early points gave them their only lead of the game before the Bruins went on a 9-0 run, capped 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 back of the net with a bucket from Lehigh senior guard Keith Higgins Jr., ending what had been a nearly 5 1/2 minute scoring drought for the visitors.

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

But the Mountain Hawks’ offense was silent 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 down one from distance 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 entered at halftime after scoring 11 of Lehigh’s 16 points in the first half.

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

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

UCLA extended its lead in the second, although its defense slowed down a bit, as the Mountain Hawks would nearly triple their total in the first half.

But it wasn’t enough as the Bruins continued to score. Nearly 6 1/2 minutes into the second half, they began an 18-5 run that continued until the 8:97 mark. Of those 18 points, 8 came from Dailey.

Shortly after, with just over 4 1/2 minutes remaining, Mara hit a shot to give UCLA a 40-point lead, its largest of the night.

Mara recorded 16 points that night, the second most on the Bruin. He also added six boards.

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

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