Lopes drop PacWest-CCAA Shootout finale to UCSD

LAS VEGAS -- Grand Canyon found itself looking up most of the way. Now the Antelopes leave Las Vegas looking ahead to what could be a promising close to the 2008 portion of its season.

The Antelopes fell to UC San Diego in the final game of the PacWest-CCAA Shootout Sunday at Valley High School, 78-60. GCU split its pair of non-conference games against California Collegiate Athletic Association opponents, and have one more non-conference game before beginning league play.

UC San Diego (5-3) never trailed in the game, but Grand Canyon (4-5) tied the score on four occasions. A pair of Brandon Dempster free throws pulled the Antelopes within one with 3:11 to play in the first half, but the Tritons went on a 9-3 run to take a seven-point lead into the intermission.

UCSD pushed its lead to 10 on Jordan Lawley's three-pointer with 15:34 remaining, but GCU cut the gap to four for the third time of the second half when Blake Moore (pictured) canned a jumper with 14:15 to go.

Grand Canyon never got any closer as UC San Diego widened its lead to 15 on a layup by Lawley with nine minutes left on the clock. The Tritons nursed the lead from there on out.

Dempster finished with 17 points, going 3 of 4 from three-point range and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Engen Nurumbi had 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Milee Karre had eight points, three assists and a steal.

Alan Husted led UC San Diego with 19 points and six boards. Kelvin Kim and Shane Poppen each added 14 points, and Lawley scored 13. All five Triton starters scored in double figures.

GCU was outrebounded 42-27. The Lopes were outscored 38-14 in the paint.

Grand Canyon will play at Adams State, losers of seven straight, on Dec. 30 in Alamosa, Colo.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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