GCU's season ends in first round of WBI

Thursday, March 17

Grand Forks, N.D.

5 p.m.

Grand Canyon

16-15

North Dakota

19-13

Grand Canyon

North Dakota

3/17/2016 7:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Steven Gonzalez

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Grand Canyon women's basketball returned to the postseason for the first time since the 2013-14 season traveling to face North Dakota in the Women's Basketball Invitational. The Lopes went into the fourth quarter with a two-point lead but North Dakota fought back to pull off the comeback, defeating GCU 57-51. The Lopes end the season with a 16-15 overall record.

"A tough loss tonight. I feel we played hard and did some really good things," head coach Trent May said. "We couldn't find a basket in the final six minutes of the game. We had good looks and opportunities to convert, we just couldn't quite get the ball to drop."

The Lopes had three players score in double figures including Courtney Hayes, Jessica Gajewski and Cheyenne Hedrington with a game-high 16 points. North Dakota was able to take advantage of GCU on the boards, out-rebounding the Lopes 40-28.

Grand Canyon got off to a slow start offensively as North Dakota outscored the Lopes 15-12 in the first quarter but May and his squad would make adjustments entering the second quarter. GCU started the second quarter on an 11-4 run to take the lead and end the first half with the 32-26 lead.

North Dakota outscored Grand Canyon 16-12 in the third quarter to come within two points of GCU headed into the final period. Hayes scored 15 points along with three assists, ending the season with a GCU-record 195 assists.

With just over two minutes left the game was tied at 51, but UND closed out the game on a 6-0 run to advance to the next round of the WBI.

"I am extremely proud of this team and the fight they gave this season," May said. "We had our opportunities for all we wanted and that's what you want in a season. I am also proud of our staff as they have done a great job of putting players in situations to be successful."

GCU finished the season, its third in the transition process, with a 16-15 overall record and an 8-6 mark in WAC play. The Lopes have finished .500 or better in conference play in each of their three Division I seasons. Among Grand Canyon's 16 wins on the campaign was Coach May's 300th career victory, continuing to make his mark as the winningest coach in school history.