GCU Knocks Chaminade Off List of Unbeatens

Thursday, January 27

GCU

7:15 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Chaminade

Freshman Chris Johnson had six points and two assists off the bench in Thursday's 66-59 win over Chaminade.

1/28/2011 12:04:50 AM | Men's Basketball

Win Moves 'Lopes Into Tie for Second In PacWest

By: Steve Heath

Grand Canyon moved into a tie for second place in the Pacific West Conference with a 66-57 win over Chaminade at Antelope Gymnasium Thursday.

GCU (9-6, 4-1) is tied with Chaminade (11-6, 4-1) and one game behind BYU-Hawai'i (10-4, 5-0), which comes in Saturday for a noon nationally-televised game on CBS College Sports Network.

Senior center Gaby Ngoundjo (Douala, Cameroon, Little Rock Christian, Charlotte) scored at the 8:50 mark of the second half to give GCU a 47-46 lead it would never relinquish. Ngoundjo's points started a 12-2 run.

Justin Wesolowski (Mesa, Ariz., Mountain View, Northern Colorado) followed with a dunk on an alley-oop pass from junior point guard Kyle Speed (Seattle, Wash., Lake Washington, Johnson County CC). Ngoundjo had a conventional three-point play and junior guard Nick Witherill (Phoenix, Ariz., Highland, Washington State) had two field goals, the latter a 3-pointer to give the 'Lopes a 57-48 advantage with 3:09 to go.

The win was GCU's second straight over Chaminade, which came in unbeaten in league play and had earned an early-season win over Division-I Oklahoma. It was the 'Lopes first win over Chaminade at Antelope Gymnasium since the 2006-07 season.

"The first couple of minutes I thought we were flat, but then I realized we weren't flat we were just unemotional and very locked in to what we wanted to do," said GCU coach Russ Pennell. "I thought our guys executed to perfection, especially on the defensive end and our plan on guarding their outstanding guard Steven Bennett."

Bennett went for 30 in last year's game against GCU at Antelope Gymnasium and was coming off a 37-point performance in an overtime win over Hawai'i at Hilo last weekend. He was held to 10 points, on 2-of-10 shooting from the field, Thursday.

"I thought the key tonight was our rebounding and good defense on (Bennett)," said Ngoundjo, who had arguably his best game of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. "Nick (Witherill) and Rony Tchatchoua (Douala, Cameroon, Little Rock Christian, New Hampshire) did a good job on him."

Ngoundjo had 10 of his 12 points in the second half and he did a workman-like job, as well, on the Silverswords' 7-footer, Mamadou Diarra, who only had four of his game-high 17 points and two of his 10 rebounds in the second half.

"I thought Gaby put us on his back in the second half," said Pennell. "He took the challenge of playing against their big guy and fortunately for us had a really good game."

Tchatchoua led the 'Lopes with 13 points. Speed was also in double figures with 10 and added a game-high six assists. Sophomore Brad Carroll (Chandler, Ariz., Corona del Sol, Milwaukee) added nine points. Wesolowski had eight. Witherill and freshman Chris Johnson (Phoenix, Ariz., Highland) each scored six.

"We knew we had a job to do," said Tchatchoua, keeping the coach's tone of the club's business-like approach to Thursday's contest. "We had a job to do on the court and we had to keep our composure and I think we did that."

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