GCU Wins Third Straight with 83-81 Victory over Abilene Christian

Sunday, December 28

GCU Arena

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-7

Abilene Christian

6-7

Abilene Christian

Grand Canyon

Jerome Garrison scored 14 points in GCU's win over Abilene Christian

Photo by: Darryl Webb

GCU Wins Third Straight with 83-81 Victory over Abilene Christian

12/28/2014 5:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Lopes shot season-best 61.7 percent from the floor

Behind their hottest shooting night of the season, the Grand Canyon University men's basketball team (8-7) picked up their third straight win with an 83-81 victory over visiting Abilene Christian (6-7). The Antelopes shot a season-best 61.7 percent (29-for-47), their highest mark since posting a 62.5 field goal percentage in an 84-58 win over Adams State on Dec. 29, 2007 when GCU was a member of NCAA Division II.

Click here for Michael Potter's postgame interview with head coach Dan Majerle.
Click here for Michael Potter's postgame interview with Jerome Garrison.

The Lopes led by as many as 17 points in the second half before ACU pulled within three, 81-78, with just over 10 seconds on the clock. Sam Daly made two free throws to make it a two possession game and the Wildcats drained a three-pointer at the buzzer as the Lopes held on for the two point win. The 83 points mark a new season-high for GCU.

ACU is also in their second year of making the transition to the NCAA Division I ranks.

GCU had four players score in double figures, led by Joshua Braun's fifth straight double-digit scoring effort at 18 points. DeWayne Russell had 16 points, followed by Daniel Alexander with 15 off the bench and Jerome Garrison with 14 points.

Braun also pulled down a career-best nine rebounds to lead the Lopes on the boards. GCU outrebounded the Wildcats 32-23 and scored 46 of their points in the paint.

GCU found themselves down 10-4 early in the first half, but scored 11 of the next 15 points to move ahead 15-14 with just under 12 minutes on the clock. Later in the half, the Wildcats used a 6-0 run to stake a 26-20 advantage with 7:05 remaining and carried a 34-33 lead into the locker room.

The Lopes shot 55.0 percent from the floor (11-for-20), led by Braun's eight points. ACU went 14-for-28 from the field (50.0 percent) and were aided by 10 GCU turnovers that resulted in 10 Wildcats' points.

Both teams were hot from the floor to open the second half and neither led by more than four points until the Lopes opened a 10 point lead, 62-52, with 9:12 to play following a 9-0 run. The Lopes' largest lead came with 3:45 on the clock (76-59), but ACU rattled off 22 of the next 29 points to close that gap.

GCU shot an impressive 66.7 percent (18-for-27) over the final 20 minutes, as Alexander, Russell, and Braun each collected 10 points in that time.

GCU will next welcome Harvard to GCU Arena for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday. The Crimson were ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Top-25 poll and bring a 7-3 record into the game. The contest can be heard live on KXXT 1010 AM Family Values Radio or viewed live on Cox7.

GCU 83, ACU 81