GCU picks up 10th straight win

Saturday, December 18

GCU

4:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

11-1

Fresno Pacific

4-6

Fresno Pacific

Grand Canyon

Rosalyn Nelson

12/18/2010 8:57:33 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

19th-ranked 'Lopes beat Fresno Pacific

By: Steve Heath

Grand Canyon, ranked No. 19 in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Poll, extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 76-54 victory over Fresno Pacific (5-6) at Antelope Gymnasium Saturday.

Four players scored in double figures for GCU (11-1), led by freshman Maylinn Smith (Gilbert, Ariz., Mesquite) with a career-high 18 points. Senior Samantha Murphy (Phoenix, AZ, Xavier Prep) added 14. Senior Kristi Girdley (Aliso Viejo, CA, Aliso Niguel) scored 12 and senior Rosalyn Nelson (Phoenix, AZ, Deer Valley) had 11 points to go with seven assists, five steals and two blocked shots.

“It wasn’t our best game, but in the second half we hustled more and executed better,” said Nelson. “We have one more before the conference starts and it will be huge for us.”

Grand Canyon finishes the 2010 portion of its schedule with a 2 p.m. contest with Texas A&M International Dec. 31 at Antelope Gymnasium.

“We’re still a work in progress,” said GCU coach Trent May. “This time of year you don’t have to play your best basketball and we’re a long way away, but we’re still 11-1 and we’re pleased with the outcome of our games.”

While GCU may not have played the best game of the season, it didn’t play poorly.

Four minutes into the contest Grand Canyon had built a 10-point lead. It grew to 20 at halftime, 42-22.

GCU shot just 33.3 percent in the first half, but picked it up by hitting 10-of-20 second-half shots to finish at 38.5 percent. GCU dominated the boards 49-29 and helped force 22 Sunbirds turnovers.

Junior Jallisa Butler (Las Vegas, Nev., Cimarron, Barstow CC) had a game-high nine rebounds. Frosh Jenna Pearson (Gilbert, Ariz., Gilbert Christian) tied a career-high with nine points, including 7-of-8 at the free-throw line and had a career-high eight rebounds. Junior Joslynn Frazier (Sacramento, Calif., Burbank, College of Canyons) had seven rebounds.

Smith was 6-for-6 at the free-throw line and had three assists.

“They gave us a spark off the bench,” said May of his two freshmen, Smith and Pearson. “With their youth, maturity, effort and willingness, they can go a long way.”

Smith, Pearson and Frazier all did their work off the bench, as did sophomore Kim Young (Glendale, AZ, Glendale, Scottsdale CC), who had four points and five rebounds.

Girdley’s 12-point performance was two off her career-high. Murphy added three steals and five rebounds.

Box Score