The No. 2 UCLA women’s golf team came close to winning its third tournament of the season this week at the SEC/Pac-12 Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Bruins started out hot but cooled off as play went on, placing second.

The tournament featured a combination of schools from both the Southeastern Conference and the Pac-12. The competition was held at Holston Hills golf course and concluded on Sunday.

Team champion Alabama finished first at the tournament with a total score of 865 ( 1), and the Bruins were four strokes behind at 869 ( 5).

UCLA had the highest score of any Pac-12 team at the tournament – they were followed by Auburn (879, 15), then Tennessee and USC, who tied at 16-over par with a team score of 880.

UCLA got out to a fast start on the first day of competition, opening up a three-stroke lead over its competitors and finishing the day seven-under par as a team.

Senior All-American Stephanie Kono shot a 69 (-3), good for third place individually.

Redshirt junior Lee Lopez and junior Tiffany Lua posted rounds of 71 (-1), putting them in ninth place.

The Bruins closed out the first day of competition in dominant fashion as well; the team shot eight-under par on the final four holes to secure their early lead.

The second day of competition was not as friendly to UCLA, however.

The Bruins finished the second day at nine-over par as a team, slipping to second place in the tournament – it marked the first time the team relinquished control of the top spot all season.

Freshman Erynne Lee shot a one-over par 73, but every other member of the team struggled on the second day of competition.

Nathalie Mansson of Tennessee was in the lead after 36 holes at five-under par after shooting a 67 on the tournament’s second day, and the Bruins found themselves trailing Alabama.

Despite the team’s uncharacteristic play on Saturday, UCLA received a standout performance from Lee, who placed fifth overall with a score of 215, good for one-under par.

After 54 holes Lee established herself as an important part of the team; she shot 72 (E) on the last day of competition and helped the Bruins hold on to their second-place spot.

Kono and Lopez tied for seventh place on the weekend with scores of 217 ( 1).

While Lee was responsible for the Bruins’ best overall finish, Lopez recorded the best individual score of the tournament for the team, shooting a one-under par 71.

The team will head to a more tropical environment for its next tournament, the Rainbow Wahine Invitational held in Honolulu. The tournament starts Nov. 1 and ends the following day.

Compiled by Eric Peck, Bruin Sports senior staff.