GCU Sets New Margin Mark in 105-36 Win

Thursday, January 27

GCU

5:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

16-2, 4-1

105

Chaminade

1-11, 0-5

Chaminade

Grand Canyon

105

Senior Rosalyn Nelson had 24 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds in a school-record 105-36 win over Chaminade.

1/27/2011 11:10:37 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Steve Heath

Grand Canyon, ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 6 in the West Region, defeated Chaminade 105-36 at Antelope Gymnasium Thursday.

The 69-point margin is the largest in school history. In 2006, GCU beat Southwestern by 65, 85-20. The 36 point total is the lowest total given up since an 87-36 win over Chaminade Jan. 26, 2008.

Senior guard Rosalyn Nelson (Phoenix, AZ, Deer Valley) scored 19 of her 24 points in the first half and Samantha Murphy (Phoenix, AZ, Xavier Prep) had 17 of her game-high 27 in the final 20 minutes to lead GCU (16-2, 4-1) to its fourth straight win.

Off the bench, Joslynn Frazier (Sacramento, Calif., Burbank, College of Canyons) and Katie Johnson (Phoenix, AZ, Deer Valley, South Mountain CC) each scored 11 points.

Nelson, Murphy and Kristi Girdley (Aliso Viejo, CA, Aliso Niguel) all hit GCU milestones. Murphy, the program’s all-time leading scorer went over the 1,800-mark for her career and now has 1,801 points. Nelson, second on the scoring list, went over the 1,400-plateau and has 1,417. Girdley had five assists to go over 200 for her career. She has 202.

“Roz created so much tonight. She can apply so much pressure,” said coach Trent May of the Phoenix native, who added five steals and five assists. “Sam finds a way to get her points. Both did a fantastic job tonight.”

Murphy was 9-of-16 from the field and 8-of-9 at the line. She added six rebounds and three steals. Nelson hit 8-of-12 shots and 8-of-10 from the stripe.

Frazier hit all five of her field goal attempts and her only free-throw attempt. Johnson was 5-of-6 from the field. As a team, GCU shot 60.9 percent, held Chaminade to 27.7 percent and helped force 32 Silverswords turnovers.

“It was a great defensive effort as far as creating offense with our defense,” added May.

Holding onto a slim 21-18 lead at the 10-minute mark of the first half, GCU outscored Chaminade (1-11, 1-4) 31-6 for the remainder of the first half. In fact, It was on a 31-3 run until the Silverswords’ Markeshia Manning finished off the first-half scoring with a 3-pointer.

GCU started the second half on a 24-2 run.

“It took awhile to get in a groove,” said Murphy. “Our fullcourt man-to-man defense worked well and we were able to get some transition points off of it.”

All 11 players played and scored. Freshman Maylinn Smith (Mesa, Ariz., Mesquite)had game-highs in both rebounds (eight) and assists (seven). She also had six points and two steals. Jallisa Butler (Las Vegas, Nev., Cimarron, Barstow CC)had seven points and seven rebounds in only 11 minutes of play.

GCU looks for its fifth straight win Saturday afternoon when hosting BYU-Hawai’i at 2:25 p.m.

Box Score