Lopes Win Big in Lone Exhibition Game

Thursday, November 6

GCU Arena

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Western New Mexico (Exh.)

Royce Woolridge scored a team-best 16 points in GCU's win over Western New Mexico

Photo by: Darryl Webb

11/6/2014 8:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Down Western New Mexico 74-47 at GCU Arena

The Grand Canyon University men's basketball team tipped off their 2014-15 season with a 74-47 win over visiting Western New Mexico in an exhibition contest tonight at the newly renovated GCU Arena. The Antelopes picked up the preseason win in front of 7,133 fans.

Click here for highlights from the game

Click here for Michael Potter's postgame interview with head coach Dan Majerle
Click here for Michael Potter's postgame interview with Royce Woolridge

GCU's defense highlighted the game, as the Lopes allowed just 23 second half points to the Mustangs, while their offense came alive in the same half. GCU scored 50 of their 74 total points over the final 20 minutes.

Royce Woolridge led all scorers with 16 points, 13 of which came in the second half. Kerwin Smith (11), Daniel Alexander (10), and Ryan Majerle (10) also scored in double figures for GCU, while Alexander led the squad with seven rebounds. GCU held the 49-26 advantage on the boards.

The game was close early, with the Mustangs using a 4-0 run to build an 8-4 lead early in the contest. WNMU led by as many as five points before GCU scored six unanswered points on back-to-back Majerle three-pointers to take their first lead of the game, 15-14, with just under nine minutes to play in the first half.

Off the bench, Majerle sparked GCU's offense with three shots from the behind the arc as the Lopes used an 11-0 run over a five minute span to lead by as many as six points. The Mustangs drained a three-pointer at the buzzer to even up the score, 24-24, entering the halftime break. WNMU made four of their last five shot attempts in the half.

GCU shot 34.8 percent (8-for-23) in the first half, led by Majerle's 10 points. Alexander added six points, while Woolridge and Tobe Okafor had three apiece. WNMU went 11-for-25 from the floor (44.0 percent).

After trading baskets to open the second half, the Lopes staked their first double-digit lead at 42-32 with 14 and a half minutes to play in the second half following an 18-8 run..

GCU saw their lead extend to 62-41 with six minutes on the clock after 9-0 run that spanned just 43 seconds. The Lopes would allow just six more points to the Mustangs for the remainder of the game.

GCU shot 53.8 percent (14-for-26) in the second half, including a 44.4 percent mark (4-for-9) from behind the three-point line. The Lopes pulled down 30 of their 49 rebounds in the second half as their defense held the Mustangs to just 27.6 percent from the field (8-for-29).

GCU will open regular season play next Friday, Nov. 14 at Kentucky. The Wildcats were tabbed as the preseason No. 1 team in both the USA Today Coaches and AP Polls. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. (Arizona time) and the game can be heard live on Family Values Radio 1010 AM KXXT or via the TuneIn Radio app on 1010 KXXT. The matchup will also be broadcast live on the SEC Network.

GCU 74, WNMU 47