HONOLULU -- No. 1 UCLA debuted at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown with a triumphant victory over UT Martin, 97-37.
This matchup featured two teams that are trending in completely different directions.
The Bruins were 5-0 and ranked as the number one team in the country. On the other hand, UT Martin was 1-4 and near the bottom of the Ohio Valley Conference.
Lauren Betts may have had the best statline with 18 points and 12 rebounds, but the bench deserves the spotlight in this game.
While Betts and the starters took care of business, UCLA had 54 bench points throughout the game. This is a higher total than the 37 points from the entire Skyhawk team.
Guard Gabriela Jasquez made her second appearance off the bench. She scored 17 points on 8/8 field goal shooting. Despite Jasquez attempting the most shots, she was the only player to make all of her field goals.
Timea Gardiner shot an impressive 66.7% from three pointers in her 11 point game. Gardiner also recorded two steals, which were her first steals of the entire season.
Janiah Barker had an all-around performance with 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Barker also contributed on defense with two steals and two blocks.
Avary Cain and Kendall Dudley both recorded eight points each, which is higher than their season averages. Both of these players average less than four points a game.
While the bench was expected to receive more minutes, this game showcased how vital depth for the Bruins can be.
Every player on the bench accumulated more points than their season average. This highlights how any player on the number one team can be effective.
The depth helped UCLA comfortably storm out to a 50-point victory and improve to 6-0 on the season.
UCLA could be nearly unbeatable throughout the rest of the season if the bench performs how they did against UT Martin.