had 18 points and four blocks as No. 5 beat No. 17 Louisville 66-59 in the second match of a season-opening doubleheader in France on Monday.
had 15 points and contributed 13 for UCLA.
Tajianna Roberts had a game-high 21 points for Louisville, which opened up an 18-13 lead at the end of the first quarter but then proved wasteful in attack.
Louisville was six of 29 from three-point range compared to eight of 23 for UCLA. Gardiner made five of them and Jones was four of four from the free-throw line.
The 8,000-capacity Adidas Arena, home to the men’s Paris Basketball club, was just over half full for the second game.
Earlier Monday, No. 3 USC scored in the final seconds Mississippi 68-66.
Takeaways
UCLA: The imposing physicality of Betts and Gardiner on defense did much to contain Louisville’s speedy attacks. The standout pair also combined at the other end for Gardiner’s neat three-pointer from wide right late in the game.
Louisville: Louisville had some good scoring bursts but could not sustain them long enough to put UCLA under significant pressure.
Key moment: Betts found Jones with a cross-court pass for a three-pointer on the second-quarter buzzer, as UCLA took a 32-29 halftime lead to stem Louisville’s momentum.
Key stat: 75 — Betts’ shooting percentage, making nine of her 12 shots.
Up next: Louisville has a short turnaround before hosting Southern Indiana on Friday and UCLA is at home against Colgate on Sunday.
