Daniels Nets Career-High In 74-63 Win Over UMKC

Saturday, February 1

GCU Arena

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-6, 5-4

Kansas City

7-14, 3-5

Kansas City

Grand Canyon

Deanna Daniels had a career-best 29 points - most by a GCU player this season - and 10 rebounds in a 74-63 win over Kansas City.

Photo by: Theon Carrier

2/1/2014 5:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

'Lopes Improve to 8-0 at GCU Arena

Grand Canyon remained perfect at home and evened its Western Athletic Conference record with a 74-63 victory over Kansas City Saturday.

Senior Deanna Daniels had a career-high 29 points – most by an Antelope this season -- and added 10 rebounds and three steals. GCU is 15-6 overall and 4-4 in the WAC. Kansas City dropped to 7-14 and 3-5. Grand Canyon, ranked No. 22 in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25, is 8-0 at GCU Arena this season and has won nine straight in the building over two seasons.

Daniels had 20 points in the first half, including GCU's final 12 points of the period. Senior guard Justine Johnson made her return to the Antelope lineup and finished with eight points on 3-for-5 shooting. She was 2-for-4 from 3-point range and added two rebound and two assists. Johnson, GCU's first WAC Player of the Week after winning MVP of the Clarion Warhawk Classic in mid-December, hadn't played since a Dec. 28 non-conference game against LIU Brooklyn at GCU Arena. Senior Jasmine Grayson had seven rebounds, a GCU career-high and one short of her overall career-best. Johnna Brown added 10 rebounds and six assists, a GCU-high and one away from a career-best.

"Defensively, like every game, our staff came up with a great game plan and, as usual, our girls came out and executed it and gave us a comfortable lead in the first half," said GCU coach Trent May.

"Most teams make runs and, thankfully, we had executed so well in the first half we sustained a run against a good, well-coached team," added May.

The Antelopes held WAC leading scorer Eilise O'Connor (21.5 points per game) to 16 and just 4-for-17 shooting from the field.
Grand Canyon led by 14 at halftime 38-24, and built the lead to 18, 54-36, with 11:53 to go. The Kangaroos cut it to 10 at the 5:37 mark, 60-50, before Jenna Pearson hit her lone trey of the game to bump the lead back to 63-50. The 'Roos scored the next seven, cutting it to 63-57 with 4:08 to go, prior to Kaitlyn Petersen drilling a 3-pointer from the baseline to give GCU a nine-point cushion with 3:40 left.

"Two big threes by two big veterans," said May.

Daniels was 10-for-15 from the field and 9-for-10 at the free-throw line. Her 10 boards were divided evenly with five on each end.
"Her preparation, her tireless effort, and her competitiveness always keep her in the fight," said May of Daniels. "Today, she took that fight to (Kansas City).

"She got in a a groove early and found her angles and used her craftiness."

GCU starts the second half of its WAC schedule next week with road games Thursday and Saturday at Utah Valley (7 p.m.) and Bakersfield (2 p.m.), respectively. Fans can follow the live action of both contests with live links available at www.gculopes.com.

GCU 74, UMKC 63