This post was updated Nov. 17 at 11:34 p.m.

Sebastian Mack began the night on the bench – unfamiliar territory for the sophomore guard who started 30 games a season ago.

But just one minute later, the Chicago local opened the scoring with a jumper at the top of the key.

With four Bruins in double figures, UCLA men’s basketball (3-1) soared past Lehigh (0-4) by a score of 85-45. The Bruins comfortably coasted to their second consecutive win over a Patriot League squad after building a 44-16 halftime advantage. 

“Baz (Sebastian Mack) has got a lot of energy on and off the court,” said sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. “That’s good for us when we need somebody to come in like that and be the microwave.”

The Bruins were without their floor general – junior guard Dylan Andrews – for the second consecutive game. Lazar Stefanovic earned the starting nod in his place but did not remain in the game for long.

The senior guard picked up a foul within the first minute and was replaced by Mack, who made an instant impact.

Guard Ben Knostman swiftly responded with a shot from beyond the arc to put his squad up by one, but it was the final time the Mountain Hawks would be perched atop the scoreboard. The Bruins screamed past with a 13-0 run capped off by another bucket from Mack. 

Despite the scoring run, Mick Cronin wasn’t satisfied with his team’s efforts on the defensive end. The sixth-year head coach implored his team to press, slamming his foot down and commanding his players to step up. 

It was for good reason.

Keith Higgins Jr. – Lehigh’s leading scorer on the season – struggled at the start. The guard missed his first five attempts from the field but found nylon on three consecutive shots and finished with 18 points on the night – the most of any Mountain Hawk.

A quick 10-0 run drew Lehigh within two with 10:35 remaining in the first period. 

“We had some breakdowns,” Cronin said. “We gambled a little bit in the press … and we had a couple of turnovers.”

But then, UCLA’s defense found its footing. 

Constant pressure and active hands caged the Mountain Hawks’ offense – which failed to make a field goal for the remainder of the half. 

“Defensively, we just do what we do every night – try to play aggressive,” Dailey said. “We speed teams up, make them play at a faster pace so they fumble the ball and we can trap and be all over the place.”

In addition to the defense settling in, the Bruins’ offense began to find a rhythm.

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau spurred the team’s 29-3 run with six straight points – ending with 11 at halftime. 

Dailey followed closely with nine in the first half, and his impact on the glass was also felt by Cronin’s squad. 

“A lot of people play a small guy on Eric Dailey. He’s 6-foot-7, 230 (pounds),” Cronin said. “It simplifies life when you just throw it to him.”

The Oklahoma State transfer led the squad with 17 points and 10 rebounds – notching the third double-double of his career and his first in a UCLA uniform. 

A pair of alley-oops to sophomore center Aday Mara – who set a new career-high with 16 points – sent the home crowd into a frenzy just before half as the Bruins entered the break with a 28-point lead.

Faced with a rotating trio of bigs in Bilodeau, Dailey and Mara, the Mountain Hawks struggled down low as the Bruins racked up 46 points in the paint. 

“It’s always a great opportunity to go against a team like this,” Bilodeau said. “We’ve got to keep improving that area, keep pounding the paint, but I thought it was a good night.”

After the break, Lehigh’s offense found a bit of traction – matching its first-half point total in just over nine minutes of action. 

Guard Tyler Whitney-Sidney – an All-Patriot League Team selection last year – was limited to just two points in the first half but eventually found his stroke, knocking down a pair of threes and finishing with 10 points. 

However, his efforts were in vain as the Bruins maintained their healthy advantage all the way to the finish line. 

Despite the 40-point victory, Cronin said there’s still work left to be done.

“You hold a team to 45 points, your effort is usually really good,” Cronin said. “Proud of our defensive end, although we got a lot of things we got to clean up.”