GCU shows great effort in loss to New Mexico State

Saturday, January 9

Las Cruces, N.M.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-10, 0-2WAC

New Mexico State

13-3, 2-0WAC

Grand Canyon

NM State

1/9/2016 5:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Steven Gonzalez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team responded with great effort against New Mexico State after a tough loss to UT Rio Grande Valley on Thursday. The Antelopes pushed New Mexico State to its limit and fought all the way until the very end but the Lopes fell two points short of taking down the defending Western Athletic Conference champion on the road.

"We had our opportunities and as in many times if you seize them good things happen and if not, then you may not like the results," head coach Trent May said. "We have what it takes to win games. We had it today and we will have it in each remaining game."

Courtney Hayes recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nearly pulling off the triple-double with eight assists.

GCU fell behind early in the first quarter trailing 15-7 after the first 10 minutes of the game but the Lopes responded in the second quarter by outscoring the Aggies 17-9. To close out the final 5 minutes of the first half, GCU outscored NMSU 8-2 to go into halftime tied at 24.

The Lopes continued attacking on offense coming out of halftime, scoring 19 points in the third quarter, the most points they would score in quarter in Las Cruces. Grand Canyon went into the final quarter with the 43-40. GCU was able to hold off New Mexico State for most of the fourth quarter until the Aggies retook the lead with 2:13 seconds left in the game. The Lopes continued to fight back but it wasn't enough as the Lopes fell to the Aggies 60-58.

Jessica Gajewski recorded her fifth straight double-digit scoring game with 10 points, and Alyx Bloom provided a spark off the bench with her career-high 12 points at GCU. Cheyenne Hedrington led GCU with 18 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Dana Jones led GCU in rebounds with 11, her second double-digit rebounding game of the season.

GCU will head back home before hitting the road to conclude its three-game WAC roadtrip against Utah Valley, next Saturday, Jan. 16.