UCLA continues a six-game homestand in Los Angeles on Friday, hosting Lehigh for their first-ever meeting.
The Bruins (2-1) fell out of the AP Top 25 poll after a 72-64 loss to New Mexico in Henderson, Nev., on Nov. 8, but rebounded emphatically with a 71-40 rout of Boston University on Monday.
UCLA’s first game in its lengthy homestand began without Dylan Andrews, who was scratched from the lineup shortly before tipoff due to a groin injury. He is day-to-day and could play in Friday’s contest.
With Andrews out, Eric Dailey Jr. and Lazar Stefanovic led the way in scoring with 13 points each, while Sebastian Mack added 12 points off the bench. Tyler Bilodeau, who scored 18 and 23 points against Rider and New Mexico, respectively, had a more subdued performance with six points on Monday.
Although UCLA cruised in its return home, turnovers remained an issue.
The Bruins committed 15 turnovers on Monday, down from the 21 they gave up vs. New Mexico but still well above the season-long average of less than 11 each of the previous four UCLA teams surrendered per game.
“We’re trying to move the ball more. When you emphasize passing, they’re going to have more turnovers,” Bruins coach Mick Cronin said. “There’s risk-reward when you’re a high ball-movement team.”
Lehigh (0-3) comes into Los Angeles for the final leg of a four-game road swing to open its season. The Mountain Hawks opened with a 90-46 loss to UCLA’s new Big Ten Conference counterpart Northwestern but were much more competitive in 85-77 and 76-75 losses at Georgetown and Columbia, respectively.
In Tuesday’s loss at Columbia, Keith Higgins Jr. (28 points) hit a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to tie the game at 75, but Cam Gillus was called for a foul on the ensuing Lions possession. Columbia’s Avery Brown made a game-winning free throw with less than a second remaining.
“We can’t control the whistle at all times, but what we can do is control our effort on the glass,” Lehigh coach Dr. Brett Reed said via the school’s official athletic site. “During that stretch of time when Columbia extended their lead, it came from extra possessions, extra opportunities and finishes at the rim.”
Against the Lions, the Mountain Hawks gave up 16 offensive boards on Tuesday which Columbia converted into 18 second-chance points.
