GCU wins thriller over Utah Valley

Saturday, March 5

Phoenix, Ariz.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

16-14, 8-6

Utah Valley

15-14, 8-6

UVU

Grand Canyon

3/5/2016 4:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Josh Hauser

PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon women's basketball team has been battled tested all season, and the growth and maturity the team has developed over the season was on full display in the regular season finale. There were seven lead changes throughout the game with four coming in the final two minutes of the game and, on senior night at GCU Arena, the Lopes were able to send off their four seniors with a one-point victory over the Wolverines to put themselves in a tie for third place in the Western Athletic Conference. GCU ends the regular season with a 16-14 record overall and 8-6 in the WAC.

"There were so many positives that came from tonight but most importantly we got a solid team win," head coach Trent May said. "I can't thank the seniors enough for what they brought to this program. Each senior brought a smile every day to practice and worked so hard to elevate the program."

GCU held the lead with 47 seconds left in the game but Utah Valley came down the court and scored a layup out of a timeout to take the 64-63 lead with 31 seconds left. May called a timeout to draw up a play for his offense and his team delivered. As the Wolverines' defense was paying attention to Jessica Gajewski, she found a wide open Alyx Bloom at the three-point line. Bloom took her time with a pump fake, making the defender go past her to pull up for a jumper just inside the three-point line, giving GCU the 65-64 lead with 19 seconds left in the game.

"I told Alyx that she desrved that shot," May said. "It is one thing to take the shot but to make the shot shows that she was ready for the moment and I am so proud of her. She had that look in her eye that she was ready for the moment."

GCU played its typical tough defense to close out the game, as Mariah Seals tried to make a running floater with one second left on the clock but was unsuccessful as time expired.

In the final regular season game of the year, the Lopes honored their four seniors including Cheyenne Hedrington, Courtney Hayes, Dana Jones and Devyn Edwards. The four seniors reached several milestones in program history, highlighted by Hayes setting the single-season assists record with 183 and Hedrington tying the single-game rebounds record with 19 on Nov. 16. In their final game at GCU Arena, the four seniors made a noted impact scoring 37 points, collecting 19 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists. Hayes came close to flirting with a triple-double scoring seven points, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out five assists.

Grand Canyon started out the game running on all cylinders connecting on 5 of its first 6 field goals, using a 10-0 scoring run in the middle of the first period to take a 12-4 lead. The Wolverines, on the other hand, went scoreless for a stretch of over four minutes. The Lopes finished the first quarter shooting 8-of-16 from the field and held a 17-11 lead.

The Lopes began the second quarter with a pair of three-point possessions. Hedrington hit from distance followed by Jones converting on a three-point play to put GCU on top by 10. The Wolverines scored six straight to pull within four, but GCU hit back-to-back 3-point shots to restore the double-digit lead. A back-and-forth theme continued, as UVU closed the first half out on a quick 6-0 run to trim the Lopes' lead to four at the break. On senior night, Jones led all scorers with 11 first-half points.

GCU stayed hot from the 3-point line to open the third quarter. The Lopes hit three consecutive 3-point shots in the first two minutes, one coming from Bloom and back-to-back makes from Gajewski. The Lopes scored 21 points in the third quarter, the most of any quarter in Saturday's contest against UVU.

The Lopes were stingy on defense all game against Wolverines, forcing 16 turnovers, scoring 23 points off UVU's mistakes. Gajewski led GCU in scoring with 17 points and joining her in double figures was Jones and Hedrington with 13 points each.