Lopes host New Mexico State in WAC home opener

THURSDAY, JAN. 12
7:00 p.m. MST \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.
GRAND CANYON LOPES 9-5 (1-0 WAC) GAME NOTES	vs	NEW MEXICO STATE AGGIES 10-6 (2-0 WAC) GAME NOTES
HOW TO FOLLOW Stream GCU.tv \| Live Stats \| @GCU_WBB

The Grand Canyon women's basketball program will tip-off its Western Athletic Conference home slate as they welcome New Mexico State to GCU Arena Saturday, Jan. 12.Game time is set for 7 p.m. MST

GCU will look to continue its winning ways after defeating Utah Valley last Saturday.

Last time Out
GCU defeated Utah Valley 62-46, picking up its first WAC win. The Lopes put up a stellar defensive performance forcing 20 Wolverine turnovers and out rebounding UVU 37-30 on the glass. Jessica Gajewski led in scoring with 22 points, while Zelor Massaquoi pulled down 11 boards. Brie Mobley dished out six assists on the night.

GCU went into the second period with a defensive mindset, forcing 10 turnovers and picking up 15 points off Wolverine miscues. GCU capped off its 22-4 run with a Marina Laramie jumper to leave the score at 32-17 at the half. In the third quarter, the Wolverines were able to get the spark they needed, putting together a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 38-29 deep into the third period. The Lopes ended the period on a high note after Massaquoi converted her own offensive board to leave the score at 38-31.

GCU started the final frame off strong, going on an early run, but UVU started answering the call and continued to close the gap. Midway through the fourth, GCU's Gajewski started to rain triples on the Wolverines to push GCU's lead back up, accounting for 14 of GCU's 22 in the period. The Wolverine's remained steadfast converting their possessions to stay within 15, but the Lopes lead proved insurmountable as Gajewski iced the game with a trey as the clock went to 0:00.

GCU STARTING FIVE

1. The Lopes are currently 2-1 in their WAC home openers and will look to pick up back-to-back wins on Thursday night. The Lopes defeated CSUB last year in the opening conference contest, but fell to NM State during the 2014-15 season. GCU opened Division I play with a WAC opening win over Seattle U in the 2013-14 season.

2. Gajewski's play from beyond the arc has been an asset for the Lopes this season. She currently sits at No. 28 in the NCAA with a 44.6 3-point field goal percentage and second in the WAC with the total. She has scored a triple in 20 straight contests. At Utah Valley, she put up her second 20-plus point performance after netting 22 points, going 7-of-15. She recorded a season-high six triples on the night accounting for six of GCU's nine. In the fourth quarter, she tallied 14 of the Lopes 22 points and hit all of GCU's triples going 4-for-4. She produced 14 points in the fourth quarter alone, notching her second double-figure outing in a period this season. She has scored a triple in 20 straight contests.

3. GCU has been consistent from long range on the young season, with 112 baskets from beyond the arc, the Lopes are averaging 8.0 treys per game. GCU is currently second in the WAC with a .353 3-point field goal percentage. The Lopes made nine triples at Utah Valley, with six of the 9 from Gajewski (6-of-10). The Lopes currently sit at No. 35 nationwide with 8.0 treys per game.

4. With four Lopes sitting in the top-3 in the WAC in their respective categories and three Lopes leading the conference in scoring, rebounds and assist/turnover ratio, GCU continues to impress on the court. Massaquoi continues to maintain a WAC leading 8.5 boards per game. Marcos-Canedo sits atop the leader boards with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio allowing 21 turnovers through 54 assists. She now sits at third in assists with 4.2 per game. Gajewski is second in 3-point field goal percentage with a 48.9 mark .

5. The Lopes have done well in the turnover category this season. With a 1.7 turnover ratio GCU's defense has caused problems for its opponents. GCU has averaged 16.1 takeaways thus far and has netted 206 points off turnovers this year. At Utah Valley, GCU forced 20 turnovers and 15 in the first half to rout Utah Valley.

New Mexico State Notables
NM State is currently 10-6 on the year. The Aggies are currently on a three-game win streak which includes a perfect 2-0 mark in WAC play.

They are currently averaging 70.6 points per game with 39.9 rebounds per game. Brooke Salas leads the squad in scoring with 12.5 points per game. Tamera William also has a team-leading 6.8 boards per contest. The Aggies currently have three players averaging double figures in Salas, Williams (11.9) and Moriah Mack (11.5).

GCU will meet conference rival NM State for the ninth time in program history and trails 1-7 in all-time series. The Lopes have defeated the Aggies once and it came in their inaugural season in the WAC, when they downed NM State in a 66-56 outcome in Antelope Gymnasium.

Last season, the Lopes fell to the Aggies in both contests. In their last meeting, GCU wasn't able to overcome a 20 point deficit to defeat the Aggies.

Up Next
The Lopes will complete its homestand on Saturday, Jan.14 as they host UTRGV in GCU Arena. Tip is set for 2 p.m. MST.

Players Mentioned

Aniya Baker

Julieh Clark

Jessica Gajewski

Marina Laramie

Zelor Massaquoi

Brie Mobley

Casey Rarrick

Grand Canyon University Athletics