GCU Mounts Late Comeback to Claim OT Win

Monday, November 16

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-1

Oral Roberts

1-1

OT 1

Oral Roberts

Grand Canyon

11/16/2015 9:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Steven Gonzalez

PHOENIX – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team continued its home stand to open the 2015-16 season as they faced Oral Roberts at GCU Arena. The Antelopes came all the way back from a 14-point deficit to tie the game late in the fourth quarter and force overtime. Behind Cheyenne Hedrington, who tied a school record of most rebounds in a game with 19 boards and eight points by Dana Jones in the extra session, GCU edged the Golden Eagles 66-64 for its first victory of the season.

"I told them the second half was going to be about guts," head coach Trent May said. "They did all of that. They played with guts, they made the adjustments, they made the plays to win the game."

With the Lopes struggling out of the gates offensively, Hedrington carried GCU's offense early, scoring five points along with four rebounds in the first quarter, keeping the Lopes in the ballgame. After Oral Roberts took an early 7-0 lead, Grand Canyon tightened up defensively and trailed Oral Roberts 15-11 after the first quarter.

Zelor Massaquoi came in the second quarter and made an immediate impact on the court, scoring three points, grabbing five rebounds while adding an assist.

"Energy. If you're going to do something, do it with passion," May said about Massaquoi. "When you have somebody to step up and bring that energy, you need that energy, you need a spark. She did a fantastic job with the double-double."

The Lopes forced 13 turnovers in the first half but struggled with the Golden Eagle's zone defense shooting 31 percent in the first half. GCU went into halftime trailing Oral Roberts 34-23.

It was a tight third quarter as Oral Roberts narrowly outscored the Lopes in the third period, 13-12, as the game went into the fourth quarter 47-35. The Lopes went on a 6-0 run in the first two minutes of the fourth to cut the Golden Eagles lead to 47-41. With 3:43 left in the game, Edwards forced a turnover that led to a layup to trail the Golden Eagles by just one point. Hedrington tied the game (50-50) at the 1:31 mark with a free-throw and Jones gave GCU the lead with a minute left to put the Lopes up 52-50. The Lopes did not allow a field goal from the 8:12 mark all the way until 36 seconds left the game as Faith Ihim tied the game with a layup. Both teams were unable to convert on their final possessions as the game went into overtime.

Massaquoi gave GCU the lead after its first possession in overtime off a three-pointer from the top of the key and extended its lead to four points but Oral Roberts would come back with three minutes left to tie the game. The Eagles would nab a lead as big as four points in the overtime, but free throws down the stretch proved key in the Lopes victory.

Hedrington finished the game with 12 points but, more impressively, with 19 rebounds, a mark which tied the GCU school record set on Jan. 13, 1990 by Sherry Lou Tieman.

"It's all about heart," Hedrington said following the game. "I don't care if there's a 6-8 person out there, I'm determined to get that ball. It's all about heart, not about height."

"I mean 19 rebounds for a 5-9 wing/forward?" May said. "Every one of those we needed. Awesome for her. A double-double for her as well. Tonight was a very gutsy game for her."

Grand Canyon will be back in action on Thursday morning against Western State Colorado. Tip-off between the Lopes and Mountaineers is set for 10:00 a.m.