How Sweeeet (16) It Is!

Saturday, March 12

Pomona, CA

6:00 p.m.

Grand Canyon

29-2

CSU Monterey Bay

27-4

Cal State Monterey Bay

Grand Canyon

Jallisa Butler, left, and Maylinn Smith were key contributors in Grand Canyon's NCAA II West Region win over CSU Monterey Bay Saturday.

3/12/2011 10:39:26 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Antelopes advance to Monday's West Region title game

By: Steve Heath

Grand Canyon (29-2) advanced to the championship game of the NCAA II West Region with a 55-35 win over No. 22 CSU Monterey Bay (27-4) in a semifinal contest at Kellogg Gym in Pomona, Calif. Saturday.

The Antelopes tied a school record for consecutive wins with No. 17.

Ranked No. 7 in the nation and the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Grand Canyon will play Monday at 7 p.m. against top-seeded and 23rd-ranked Cal Poly Pomona (27-4).

Monday’s winner advances to the Elite 8 in St. Joseph’s, Missouri beginning March 22.

“To say that I’m proud of our team and the result … it’s truly an understatement,” said Grand Canyon coach Trent May. “I’m so pleased with the result they have, the consistency of heart, the desire to fight game after game after game … They don’t stop fighting.”

Freshman Maylinn Smith led Grand Canyon with a career-high 23 points. All-America candidate and the nation’s leading scorer, Samantha Murphy was held to 14 points, 11 under her average. Junior Jallisa Butler had a career-best 18 rebounds.

It didn’t matter to Murphy that she didn’t get her average, which is 24.6 heading into Monday’s championship game.

“I think tonight I didn’t really take as many shots as I usually do. I don’t really think that’s a problem,” said Murphy. “At this stage right now I kind of want teams to … focus on me a little bit more and free up my other teammates. It’s more about the team ball now then it is individual stats. We do have the players that can step it up.”

Grand Canyon gave Monterey Bay a little bit of its own medicine. The Otters came into the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (50.8), but it was the Antelope defense that shined brightest Saturday. They held the Otters to only 18.8 percent shooting for the game and only 10 percent (3-of-30) in the second half.

The 35 points are a season-low for a GCU opponent.

“One thing that was consistent was our defense all night,” said May. “Monterey Bay’s a good basketball team; their coach does a fantastic job. I know they hit some three’s early and that’s not what they like to do. Our girls did a good job of controlling the boards, especially in the second half.”

GCU trailed 19-11 with 9:53 remaining in the first half. It followed with an 11-0 run. Smith had a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws. Murphy had two from the charity stripe and Rosalyn Nelson added a free throw. The Otters tied the game, 22-22, but GCU had the lead at the break after two more freebies from Smith, 24-22.

Monterey Bay went nearly 15 minutes of the second half without a field goal. Julie Heurung scored at the 16:42 mark to cut the GCU lead to 29-27. The next CSUMB field goal was a 3-pointer by Holly Holcomb with only 1:48 remaining and GCU comfortably leading 51-35.

Butler had seven points to go with her 18 board. Six of the points came in a two-minute span that saw the Antelopes’ lead grow to 35-27.

"Credit Grand Canyon, they were guns-blazin' in the second half," said CSUMB coach Renee Jimenez.

Murphy added eight rebounds as GCU outrebounded Monterey Bay 48-37. Nelson, Jenna Pearson and Katie Johnson all had four rebounds. Nelson had a game-high four assists.

It is the first time in its NCAA history; Grand Canyon has advanced to a basketball regional championship game and berth into the coveted Sweet 16.

“This is my dream come true right here,” said Murphy. “I think we’ve had that championship mindset all year long and that’s what carried us here.”

Box Score