Lopes' winning streak snapped by CSU Bakersfield

Thursday, February 25

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-14, 7-6

CSU Bakersfield

10-18, 6-6

CSUB

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Darryl Webb

2/25/2016 9:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Josh Hauser

PHOENIX – Despite pulling within five points with 3:00 to play, the Grand Canyon women's basketball team fell to CSU Bakersfield 76-67 at GCU Arena on Thursday night. Dana Jones posted 22 points with 15 free throw attempts to lead Grand Canyon.

"It's always the little things. The game is made up of so many opportunities that you have to really be sound in," head coach Trent May said. "We didn't do well rebounding the ball. You'd think it has cost us so many games that it would be a focus. It has to be a mentality."

The Lopes defense came ready to play, holding the Roadrunners scoreless for the first 3:40 of the game. CSUB's first eight possessions resulted in seven missed shots and a pair of turnovers. The Lopes led by as many as eight early on until CSU Bakersfield used an 8-0 run to even the score at 12. Grand Canyon went scoreless over the final 4:53 of the opening period.

Jones ended the Lopes' scoreless streak with an inside bucket to tie the score at 14 in the early stages of the second period. Jones continued to will her way to the basket and was also rewarded with a pair of trips to the foul line. The guard finished 3-for-5 with 7 points in the second quarter alone. GCU went into the locker room trailing 29-25.

The Roadrunners opened up the third quarter with a pair of 3-point field goals to extend their lead to nine, where it stayed for most of the period. The 'Runners led by as many as 11 in the final minute of the third quarter.

Trailing by nine entering the final period, GCU managed to pull within five points after a pair of 3-point shots from Alyx Bloom and Zelor Massaquoi. Six consecutive missed shots prevented the Lopes from drawing nearer, however, as CSU Bakersfield went on to secure the nine-point victory.

"When you don't take advantage of the things you can control, there's going to be disappointment. There's going to be losses," May said. "The good news is that you can learn from those things. You have to want to improve the things you're deficient in."

In addition to Jones' 22 points, Cheyenne Hedrington (11 points) and Bloom (10 points) also finished in double figures for the Lopes.

GCU has eight days off before their next game, which will serve as the regular season finale. Grand Canyon will play host to Utah Valley on Saturday, March 5 at 4 p.m. MT at GCU Arena.