Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Steven Morin
'Lopes Muster Energy to Beat Hawaii-Hilo, Split Four-Game Trip to Islands
2/21/2010 3:19:22 AM | Men's Basketball
Two contestants and the athletic director made half-court shots in a promotion called the Athletic Director’s Challenge at halftime of tonight’s men’s basketball game between Grand Canyon University and the University of Hawaii-Hilo at the UHH Gymnasium in Hilo. It was the first time a contestant has made the shot this season, let alone two contestants and the A.D., and each of the contestants won $50. A 10-year-old boy then made a layup, free throw and three-pointer within 20 seconds to win $100 from a sponsor and bring a rise from the crowd of 745.
After GCU’s shoot-around earlier in the day, head coach Russ Pennell told his drained team, which was playing its fourth game in seven days on this Hawaiian trip, that it somehow would need to summon that same kind of energy to win the game against the well-coached Vulcans.
The Antelopes did, and now they can leave the big island and fly home tomorrow having won two of the four games on their final road trip of the season. GCU won, 67-61, to improve its record to 12-16 overall, 6-6 in Pacific West Conference. UHH fell to 13-9, 7-5.
Sophomore forward Justin Wesolowski (Mesa, AZ/Mountain View HS) scored the game’s first points on a tip-in off a missed three-pointer by senior guard T.J. Benson (Tempe, AZ/Corona del Sol HS).
Sophomore guard Nick Witherill (Phoenix, AZ/Highland HS) made a layup off a steal, junior forward Gaby Ngoundjo (Little Rock, AR/Christian HS) hit a short jumper and freshman guard Brad Carroll (Chandler, AZ/Corona del Sol HS) nailed a three-pointer to make it 9-2. Hawaii-Hilo called a timeout.
Wesolowski made a jumper, Ngoundjo made a layup off a pass from Witherill, Ngoundjo made another layup off a nice feed, Wesolowski drained a trey, Benson swished a wide-open three-pointer and Ramos made a turn-around jumper. The Vulcans called another timeout with the score 23-12, ‘Lopes.
Ramos made a layup off an inbounds pass, freshman guard Steven Morin (Scottsdale, AZ/Saguaro HS) drained a three-pointer, GCU called a timeout with 3:54 left in the half and the ‘Lopes on top, 28-18.
Witherill hit a three-pointer, GCU scored again and Ramos made a free throw. The halftime score was 34-26.
The ‘Lopes shot 14-for-22 (63.6 percent) in the first half, including 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) from behind the arc. UHH shot 12-for-23 (52.2 percent) and missed both of its three-point attempts.
The Vulcans, befitting their name, came out hot to start the second half. They closed the gap to 34-32 before Pennell called a timeout at 15:14 and reminded his team that it needed to play with a lot of energy to win the game.
Morin scored on a layup, Witherill hit a short jumper, junior forward Rony Tcahtachoua (Little Rock, AR/Christian HS) made two free throws, Morin drained consecutive three-pointers, UHH called a timeout with the ‘Lopes ahead by 12, 46-34.
It was 55-46 when Pennell called a timeout at 5:31.
With 1:08 left, it was 64-59. And when Pennell called another timeout with 34 seconds remaining, it was 64-61. The ball was in GCU’s possession.
Carroll went to the line with 18.8 seconds. He made the first shot, but missed the second. Witherill grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He swished the first and rattled in the second.
The ‘Lopes were led in scoring by Witherill, who went 5-for-9 from the field and hit both of his free-throw attempts for 14 points. Ramos was 4-for-4 from the field and made 4-of-6 free throws for 12 points, and Morin was 4-for-5 (3-for-4 from three-point land) for 11 points.
Benson and Ngoundjo had a team-high eight assists and nine rebounds, respectively. Carroll, playing with an injured shoulder (he suffered the injury against Chaminade on Thursday), finished with five points, two rebounds and four assists in 30 minutes of action.
GCU again shot well from the free-throw line, going 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) in the second half and 70.8 percent for the game.
Notes
The Vulcans lost a nail-biter to second-place Dixie State, 79-76, on Sunday. Justin Smith, a 6-foot-6 junior forward from Los Angeles, scored 20 of his game-high 28 points with under 12 minutes left in the game, erasing a 10-point deficit and giving UHH a one-point lead.
Smith, who did not start tonight because of back spasms, ranks fifth in the PacWest in scoring (16.6 points per game), fourth in rebounding (7.6 rebounds per game) and second in field-goal percentage (.626).
Andrew Gipson, a junior guard from Oakland, Calif., is fifth in the conference in assists (4.1) and first in assist/turnover ratio (2.1). Bryan Ngo, a senior guard from San Jose, Calif., is fifth in free-throw percentage (.790) and tied for fifth in steals (38).
UHH plays at GCU on March 6 in the season finale for both teams.
The Vulcans have the third-best scoring offense (76.2) and third-best scoring defense (72.3) in the league. They also have the second-highest field-goal percentage (.504).
UHH beat Dominican, 68-65, on Jan. 9 in San Rafael, Calif. GCU lost to Dominican, 68-59, on Jan. 14 in San Rafael.
The Vulcans have had some other key results this season. They beat preseason national No. 1-ranked and defending PacWest champion BYU-Hawaii, 87-86, on Jan. 16 at Hilo. They also have played this season’s conference leader, Hawaii Pacific, tough, losing 83-82 on Jan. 18 at Hilo and 103-99 in overtime on Jan. 25 in Honolulu.
###
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Fresno State - Postgame Radio with Bryce Drew
Wednesday, March 11
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Fresno State - Postgame Radio with Brian Moore Jr.
Wednesday, March 11
What's Ahead for the Mountain West Tournament?
Monday, March 09
GCU Men's Basketball vs. Fresno State - Postgame with Dusty Stromer, Brian Moore Jr.
Sunday, March 08