GCU Knocks Off Conference Leader Dixie State

Saturday, January 30

GCU

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

DIXIE STATE

1/30/2010 10:13:55 PM | Men's Basketball

The Grand Canyon University men’s basketball team won its fourth straight game tonight, beating first-place Dixie State University 82-80 in a Pacific West Conference game on Homecoming at Antelope Gymnasium.

A full house was on hand to witness GCU’s biggest win of the season..

Dixie State was undefeated (6-0) in PacWest play and 12-3 overall entering tonight’s game. The Red Storm had won seven in a row for the first time since they made the move to Division II. They are ranked No. 5 in the West Region. Seattle Pacific University, which GCU defeated 69-68 on Jan. 2, is the region’s top-ranked team.

The Antelopes thrust themselves into the PacWest race. They are 4-3 in conference. Second-place Hawai’i Pacific was 6-1 before its home game against Academy of Art tonight. Third-place BYU-Hawaii is 3-2 and hosts Notre Dame de Namur Monday night. And fourth-place Hawai’i Hilo is 4-3 and hosts Academy of Art on Monday.

GCU’s next game is against Dixie State on Saturday in St. George, Utah.

The PacWest champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Division II Championship tournament.

Five ‘Lopes scored in double figures: senior guard T.J. Benson (pictured, Tempe, AZ/Corona del Sol), 16; sophomore forward Justin Wesolowski (Mesa, AZ/Mountain View), 13; freshman guard Brad Carroll (Chandler, AZ/Corona del Sol), 11; sophomore guard Nick Witherill (Phoenix, AZ/Highland), 11; and junior forward Rony Tchatchoua (Little Rock, AR/Christian), 10.

Junior forward Gaby Ngoundjo (Little Rock, AR/Christian) pulled down a team-high six rebounds, and Carroll and Wesolowski had five each. GCU outrebounded Dixie State, 33-25. The ‘Lopes also had eight fewer turnovers (13) than the Red Storm.

Dixie State shot 70.0 percent from the field in the first half, including 80.0 percent from three-point range, and made 83.3 percent of its free throws.

Junior guard Donovan Plunkett made 7 of 8 shots from the field, 3 of 3 three-pointers and 4 of 4 free throws for 21 points. In the second half, however, he was held to just 2 of 7 from the field and 0-for-2 from behind the arc, although he did make all five of his free throws.

The Red Storm’s leading scorer, junior forward Tom Whitehead, was limited to 13 points, 2.5 below his average. Senior forward Andy Palmer, who averages 11.8 points per game, scored only 2.

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