Lopes outlast Cougars in double overtime

Saturday, January 28

Chicago, Ill.

1:00 P.M.

Grand Canyon

14-8, 4-2WAC

Chicago State

6-18, 1-6WAC

OT 1

OT 2

Grand Canyon

Chicago State

Photo by: Darryl Webb

1/28/2017 4:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Charles Hampton

The Grand Canyon men's basketball team fought back from a double-digit halftime deficit and pulled out an 85-77 double-overtime thriller over Chicago State at the Jones Convocation Center in Chicago, Ill. on Saturday afternoon. It was the Lopes' second road win of the season.

DeWayne Russell led all scorers with 25 points, the 25^th consecutive game he's scored in double figures. Russell played all 50 minutes of the contest and just missed a triple-double, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists.

Keonta Vernon added a career-high 24 points and matched a career-high with 15 rebounds, while adding 3 steals, 2 assists and a block. It was his second consecutive double-double, and sixth this season. Joshua Braun, who was held scoreless in the first half, scored 19 points in the second half and overtime and recorded a career-best 6 assists.

Chicago State got out to an early 6-0 lead as the Lopes missed their first four shots from the field, before Oscar Frayer hit a mid-range jumper 2:30 into the contest. GCU continued their struggles from behind the arc as they missed their first 10 3-point attempts of the contest, before Russell connected on the team's first one with 2:13 to go until halftime. The Cougars pushed the lead to as many as 13 throughout the half and took a 34-21 lead into halftime.

The Cougars controlled the pain in the first half, outscoring the Lopes 22-10 inside and holding the rebounding edge, 20-17. GCU managed to shoot only 31 percent from the field and just 40 percent from the free throw line. Chicago State hit 46.4 percent of their field goal attempts in the half, including two 3-pointers.

After the two teams traded baskets to start the second half, GCU got back in the game with a 26-6 run over an eight-minute stretch, which included 11 points from Russell to put the Lopes up seven, 49-42. Chicago State answered right back with a 13-6 run over the next three minutes to tie the game at 55.

Trailing 62-59 with 2:30 left in regulation, Braun came off a screen at the top of the key and drilled a deep 3-pointer to tie the game once again. The Lopes had a three point lead with 19 seconds to go, but Fred Sims Jr. hit a fallback 3-pointer to tie the game at 66. Frayer had a look at three in the final seconds, but couldn't get it to go and GCU was headed to overtime for the first time this season.

In the first overtime period, the two squads traded baskets before the Lopes regained the lead when Frayer grabbed an offensive rebound on a Russell miss and put it back up and in to take a 73-71 lead. Trayvon Palmer tied the game at 73 with a pair of free throws with 1:53 remaining in the extra period. While each team had shot in the final minute, none fell as GCU entered double-overtime for the first time since transitioning to Division I four years ago.

In the second overtime, GCU outscored Chicago State 12-4 thanks to 10 points from Vernon and Frayr, who each contributed dunks and free throws. Russell added two free throws to put the game away.

For the game, GCU only shot 39.0 percent, including 6-of-29 from 3-point range. Russell hit three second-half 3-pointers and Braun hit the Lopes' other two. GCU won the rebounding battle, 50-46, and had 21 assists on 30 made baskets.

The Lopes return home, where they are 10-2 on the season, on Tuesday night as they host Bethesda to kick-off a much-needed four-game home stand. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST.