Lopes cruise to win over Florida Atlantic

Sunday, December 4

Phoenix, Ariz.

12:00 P.M.

Grand Canyon

4-4

Florida Atlantic

3-5

Florida Atlantic

Grand Canyon

12/4/2016 3:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score FAU Photo Gallery

By: Imani Suber

PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon women's basketball program picked up its fourth win in GCU Arena after downing Florida Atlantic 81-60 on Sunday afternoon. The Lopes shot 49.2 percent from the field its highest total of the year, pulled down 38 boards and converted 13 Owl turnovers into 25 points.The Lopes 21-point margin of victory was the largest to date.

Marina Laramie lead the squad with 30 points (12-for-21) while Jessica Gajewski picked up 15 (6-for-10) going 3-for-6 from long range. Laramie snagged 10 boards in route to her third double double of the year.

How it Happened
The Owls opened up the contest quickly applying a full court press on the Lopes rendering them scoreless until the 8:21 minute mark when Aniya Baker gave GCU the spark they needed scoring the Lopes first points with a jumper. From that point on, GCU went on a scoring tear, putting together a 10-1 run and would never relinquish its lead. Laramie hit two back-to-back jumpers to extend GCU's lead to 6-1. The Lopes refused to allow an FAU basket netting 10 unanswered points. The Owls wouldn't score until the 3:55 minute mark in the first quarter. The Owls began to gel on offense putting together a nine point performance to leave the contest at 18-11 to end the first.

In the second, GCU's defense continued to thrive adding four turnovers for a total of eight in the half capitalizing on the Owls miscues for 17 points. A good majority of GCU's total came from their work in the paint as they put up 23 to FAU's 14 for a 39-21 finish in the first half.

The Owls opened up the third quarter aggressive mounting a 5-0 run. But the scoring surge was short lived as GCU started rattling off shots. A Casey Rarrick triple followed by a Laramie jumper extended the lead to 49-31 midway through the quarter. Gajewski drained a trey for 10 total points, earning her third-straight double figure performance in the process.

In the final frame, GCU kept the pressure on extending its lead to 70-41 off a pair of triples from Gajewski and Rarrick. While the Lopes stifling defense had smothered the Owls for the duration of the contest, FAU finally got its offense going late in the fourth. The Owls engineered a 14-4 run to try to make a comeback. But the Lopes wouldn't stand for it as GCU's supporting cast put up a pair of layups to seal the contest at 81-60.

Lopes Quotes
Head Coach Trent May
(On the team's performance)
"I think they are a good basketball team. They played U of A really close, but I'm definitely proud of our girls, one thing we worked on was the things that we can control. I think we got better in a lot of ways today. Really shared the ball, finished well, rebounded the ball well for us. We need to get better with that, but that was a positive for us today. We were able to go on cruise control once we had the lead. Third quarter was better than our previous third quarters, we've still got to leave that mark coming out of the locker room. At half time we really need to make sure we set the standard early in the second half."

(On F/C Marina Laramie's performance)
"She's doing a great job. She finds her shots, she stays in rhythm, didn't have to force much today. So she took what was given and did a really good job with that."

Lopes Notes

Marina Laramie produced a 20 point performance in the first half for the second time this season and second time in three contests, last achieved at UC Riverside.
Although, Laramie was just two shy of a career high with 30 points, she posted her third straight 20 point performance and sixth double-figure outing. She also has led GCU in scoring though six games this season.Laramie has tallied three 30 point outings this year.
The Lopes tallied their best shooting performance of the season with 49.2 percent from the field going 31-of-63. GCU shot 75 percent for the free throw line at 12-of-16 and shot 53.5 percent in the first quarter.
GCU shot 48.4 percent from the field in the first quarter, their third highest mark this season.
The Lopes totaled 25 points off Florida Atlantic turnovers, the second highest total this season.
Aniya Baker led the squad with six assists.
GCU out rebounded the Owls at a 38-to-32 mark and forced 23 turnovers.
Jessica Gajewski tallied her third-straight double-figure performance with 15 points and went 3-for-6 from long range.
The Lopes 21 point margin of victory marked the highest total on the season thus far.