Lopes grind out home win

Monday, December 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-2

North Carolina Central

4-8

North Carolina Central University

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Travis Neely

12/11/2017 9:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery Dan Majerle Press Conference

GCU downs N.C. Central with Joshua Braun's 20 points

By: <a href="http://gculopes.com/index.aspx?path=coro">Paul Coro</a>

Losses feel too awful to not find enjoyment in every win.

Coming off a 34-point rout of Grambling State, a repeat effort for Grand Canyon against North Carolina Central would have been ideal Monday night with the toughest test ahead Wednesday at Boise State.

The Lopes repeated the result but not the resounding style. Instead, GCU's 64-59 victory in front of 6,276 fans at GCU Arena took some resolve.

The Lopes (7-2) led for the final 32-plus minutes but dodged multiple chances for the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic conference champion to take the lead in the final two minutes.

GCU made its final six free throws with the closing four coming from senior point guard Casey Benson to ice the win. It did not hurt to have the Christmas-adorned Havocs at their merriest when North Carolina Central burly center Raasean Davis, whose 16 points and nine rebounds had been coal in GCU's stocking, missed the front end of a bonus situation to leave GCU's lead at 60-59 with 14.9 seconds to go.

"We just have to do a better job of finishing down the stretch," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "Just being a little tougher mentally. Defensively, I didn't enjoy that at all. We just made mental mistakes."

Seventeen of North Carolina Central's 22 made shots came in the paint. GCU's offense solved the Eagles' zone in the first half with guard penetration and decent 3-point shooting but the Lopes went cold in the second half against the 2-3 and 3-2 looks.

GCU never got a fastbreak point in the game, slowing its offense to methodical work against full-court pressure and zone defenses. In the second half, the Lopes shot 22 percent from the field and went more than six minutes without making a shot to lose a 10-point lead.

"We didn't do as good of a job attacking the gaps and getting inside, moving the ball in and out," said senior guard Joshua Braun, who led GCU with 20 points. "We were just moving the ball around the zone a little bit so that was part of it. Missing shots was part of it. We fouled a little bit. There were a few fouls we can't have.

Braun and Benson, the starting backcourt, shared the team rebounding lead with seven boards each while Benson added a team-high seven assists. GCU's main ball-handlers – Braun, Benson and Shaq Carr – played 82 minutes combined without making a turnover.

"Way tough," Carr said of the win. "It just came down to defensively, honestly. We struggled at the end of the game with getting stops. At the end, we stayed together and pulled out the W. Casey was big with the free throws at the end. It was never easy. They kept hitting shots all game. Everything we contested."

Braun was the only GCU scorer in double figures. Senior power forward Keonta Vernon fouled out with nine points and freshman power forward Roberts Blumbergs added nine points in 15 reserve minutes.

Majerle stuck with the starting lineup change that debuted Saturday, with sophomore guard Fiifi Aidoo and freshman power forward Alessandro Lever moving into the first five and sophomore swingman Oscar Frayer and Blumbergs coming off the bench.

Majerle closed the game with the three-guard look of Benson, Braun and Carr accounting for the final eight Lopes points against the Eagles (4-8).

"Coach brought it up," Braun said. "We compete in practice all the time and get after it. He was like, 'This is where it counts. This is where you need to get after and compete.' We're just happy to pull out a win. We got a little cold in the second half and we needed to get some stops we didn't get but we were able to come out on top."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.