First-half deficit too much to overcome as Lopes fall in Las Cruces

Thursday, January 12

Las Cruces, N.M.

7:00 P.M.

Grand Canyon

10-7, 1-1WAC

New Mexico State

16-2, 3-0WAC

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

First-half deficit too much to overcome as Lopes fall in Las Cruces

1/12/2017 11:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Charles Hampton

The Grand Canyon men's basketball team remained winless on the road this season, falling to New Mexico State 81-69 at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. on Thursday night. The Lopes drop to 10-7 on the season and 1-1 in WAC play. New Mexico State won their 14^th consecutive game and extended their home conference win streak to 36 games.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," head coach Dan Majerle said after the game. "I thought it'd come down to the last few minutes. It could've. We cut it to two. We weathered the storm, we knew they were going to come out and punch us."

DeWayne Russell led GCU with 20 points. The senior guard added 6 assists and 4 rebounds while playing all 39 minutes. It was the 13^th time this season that Russell has led the Lopes in scoring. Josh Braun added 16 points and Kerwin Smith tied a career-high with 12 points, the third time he has scored in double-figures this season.

The Lopes and Aggies battled back and forth in the early minutes and were locked in a 9-9 tie at the first media timeout, before Darion Clark hit a jumper give GCU a two point lead with 13 minutes left in the half, the last lead it would hold in the game.

New Mexico State then used a 24-6 run in the middle of the half to open up a 35-17 lead with just under four minutes remaining. GCU used a small 8-3 run to cut the lead to 13 going into halftime, trailing 38-25. The Lopes were 0-5 from 3-point range in the first half, while the Aggies hit 5-of-13 behind the arc. GCU also struggled mightily from the free throw line, hitting just 1-of-9 from the charity stripe.

Coming off his 31 point outing in the conference opener, Braun scored the first 6 points of the game for GCU in the first two minutes of the contest, but was held scoreless until intermission. Braun hit a three on the first possession to start the second half and Gerard Martin followed with a 3-pointer of his own to cut the lead to seven, 38-31.

After the two squads traded 3-pointers, Smith hit a hook shot inside to pull the Lopes within 4. After two free throws from the Aggies, Russell hit another 3-pointer in the corner to cut the lead to 3. The Lopes hit their first five 3-pointers of the half after failing to make one in the first half.

After the Lopes were able to pull within two, the Aggies went on a 12-2 run to open up a 10-point lead again. Russell ended a GCU field goal drought, by driving in the lane and hitting the layup, while drawing the foul. Russell converted the 3-point play to bring the Lopes within seven, 63-56, but the Aggies answered right back as Matt Taylor converted a 3-point play of his own.

The unconventional runs of 3-point plays continued as Braun was fouled shooting a 3-pointer, and hit all three attempts at the line. New Mexico State answered right back when Jermaine Hailey hit a corner 3-pointer with 3:58 remaining to extend the Aggie lead back to 12. In the final four minutes, each team would manage just one bucket, while each hitting six free throws to maintain the 12-point margin at the final buzzer.

New Mexico State controlled the glass, outrebounding GCU 40-26, including 15 offensive rebounds to only 5 for the Lopes. Those 10 extra offensive rebounds translated into a 16-4 edge in second chance points, the deciding margin of the game. The Lopes shot better from the free throw line in the second half, but managed to finish 14-of-28 from the line for the game.

"You're never going to win a game when you get outrebounded 40-26," Majerle said. "We shot 62 percent in the second half. 62 percent. We shot 50 percent from the free throw line. If you get outrebounded 40-26 and have five offensive rebounds and they have 15, it ain't going to work. That's the game."

GCU gets little time to rest as their first conference road trip continues with a trip to Edinburg, Texas, to face UTRGV on Saturday night at UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST and will be broadcasted on the American Sports Network.