Lopes Win Thriller Over Central Michigan

Thursday, December 3

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

6-0

Central Michigan

3-4

Central Michigan

Grand Canyon

12/3/2015 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Steven Gonzalez

PHOENIX - Grand Canyon basketball welcomed head coach Dan Majerle's alma mater Central Michigan to a packed GCU Arena. In the Antelopes toughest test of the season, GCU delivered with a 75-72 victory to stay a perfect 6-0 this season.

"What a beautiful win for our guys," Majerle said. "Battled. To play and have Josh Braun and DeWayne Russell -- our two best players -- to have the game they had, they were 2-for-15, missing free throws, turning the ball over. To be able to step up and win a game against a good team, says a lot about our program and where we've come and how far we've come. I told them we had six home games, and we won all six of them. It's pretty amazing."

The Lopes dominated the Chippewas in the paint, outscoring CMU 34-18 while outrebounding Central Michigan 37-29. For the first time in his career, Gerard Martin led GCU with 17 points, shooting 75 percent from the field, including 5-6 from the three-point line.

The crowd brought the intensity right at tip-off and the Lopes were able to feed off GCU Arena, jumping out to a six-point lead within the first five minutes. Grand Canyon immediately looked to use its size advantage and crash the boards; within the first seven minutes of the game, GCU outrebounded Central Michigan 12-3, generating nine second-chance points.

De'Andre Davis provided a spark off the bench for GCU, scoring 12 points along with four rebounds and three assists in the first half. Grandy Glaze joined Davis as the only Antelopes to score double-figures in the first half with 11 points with three rebounds and an assist. At the end of the first half, 5-11 point guard DeWayne Russell would be tied for the most rebounds at half with four along with GCU's Davis.

Martin reached his career-high in points in the first 20 minutes of tonight's game, scoring nine points, shooting perfect from the three-point line. Central Michigan was able to convert half of its points from the three-point line making six three's. After the 7:35 mark when Central Michigan took its first lead of the game, there would be five lead changes and both teams converted layups in the final 30 seconds to go into halftime tied at 36.

Central Michigan jumped out to an early five-point lead to start the second half, shooting 66.7 percent in the first five minutes of the second half. The Chippewas continued to hold onto their lead throughout the second half until GCU made a 9-0 run to take the 57-56 lead at the 8:40 mark. During the GCU's run, the Lopes were able to force three turnovers in three minutes. Central Michigan retook the lead at 63-61 with 6:30 left in the game but at the 4:44 mark CMU's best scoring option John Simons fouled out with a team-high 24 points.

GCU took the lead 66-65 lead with 3:48 left in the game off a Keonta Vernon layup and Martin extended the lead to six-points with a three-pointer. Central Michigan tied the game at 72 with 49 seconds left after Braylon Rayson made four straight free-throws. Davis gave GCU the 74-72 lead off a pair of free-throws with 33 seconds left. After Joshua Braun hit a free-throw to give the Lopes the 75-72 lead, CMU's Rayson tried to tie the game with a three-pointer but GCU's defense prevented the bucket, as the Lopes retain their perfect record.

"Couldn't be prouder of our guys to stay focused," Majerle said. "There's a lot of times tonight that they could have crumbled, things weren't going their way. But they stayed with it, they played hard, they found a way to win. That's what good teams do. I am extremely proud of everybody. Of the coaching staff, of the players, of our trainers, of our weight guys, everyone. Because 6-0 is pretty cool."

The Lopes' attention now turns to Louisville, who is ranked No. 24 in the country, and will face the Cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 5, in Louisville, Kent. at the KFC Yum! Center.