Lopes battle in Boise to 2-OT loss

Wednesday, December 13

Boise, Idaho

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-3

Boise State

10-1

OT 1

OT 2

Grand Canyon

Boise State

12/13/2017 10:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score

GCU only trailed for 30 seconds of regulation

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

BOISE, Idaho – Leading by four points with 1:32 remaining in regulation.

Yielding a tying 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds to go in regulation.

Missing shots to win at the end of regulation and overtime, missing free throws at the end of regulation and overtime and missing a shot to tie at the end of the second overtime.

The chances to close out a signature road victory against a high-quality team were all over Grand Canyon's 85-80 double overtime loss at Boise State but those clutch moments will sting for a while.

The Lopes (7-3) only shot 35.4 percent from the field, including four-for-18 shooting in the overtimes. Otherwise, GCU's defense could have been enough to avoid being the Broncos' 24^th consecutive non-conference victim at Taco Bell Arena.

"Our guys battled hard and kept fighting," Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said. "This is a really good team in a tough place. We battled and hopefully we'll get better because of it.

"I'm done with hanging with teams. Play better. Shooting 35 percent is not good enough. That's a good defensive team but so are we. It's time to win. I'm never upset at our guys' effort but there were a lot of mental mistakes that we have to get over it if we want to be a good team."

GCU leading scorers Casey Benson and Joshua Braun combined to make seven of 31 shots (22.6 percent) but the Lopes still only trailed for 30 seconds of regulation. They had their best start of the season, taking a 12-4 lead and stretched the lead to 10 in the first half. Benson had a halftime buzzer-beating 3-pointer for a 36-30 lead that thrilled more than 200 "Lopes on the Road" fans among the crowd of 4,628.

GCU controlled Boise State's top scorers, throwing a slew of defenders at 6-foot-7 wing Chandler Hutchison and denying sharpshooter Justinian Jessup from 3-point chances. But the Broncos took their first lead, 45-43, with 10:58 to go, only to see the Lopes respond with a 10-3 run keyed by Shaq Carr drives.

The defense kept Boise State (10-1) without a field for four minutes in the clutch but Benson traveled with a 61-57 lead and Braun missed the front-end free throw in a bonus situation with a 61-59 lead. After two Benson free throws put GCU ahead 63-60 with 13.3 seconds to go, Boise State guard Lexus Williams followed up this month's half-court, game-winning shot at Oregon with a deep 3-pointer to tie with 3.9 seconds remaining. Benson's ensuing rushed, leaning 3 missed.

"We need those hard-fought ones," said GCU senior power forward Keonta Vernon, who posted 15 points and 12 rebounds. "We were in control the whole entire game. We should've ended that in regulation. That's something we have to take to heart, especially defensively. We hang our hat on defense."

Boise State led 68-63 in the first overtime but Benson's 3 keyed a defense-charged rally. Trailing 69-68, the Lopes missed out on three go-ahead chances when Oscar Frayer dropped a pass out of bounds, Benson made one of two free throws and Benson missed a 3 at the overtime buzzer to leave the game tied.

"It's one that we felt we let slip away," Benson said. "Tough way to lose but we competed. We were right there against a good team.

"It shows resiliency, not wanting to lose. We just kept fighting, kept competing, kept at it. That's what makes it tougher to lose that way."

Benson fouled out in the second overtime and Boise State scored on eight consecutive possessions to lead 83-78 but GCU still earned one last chance. Freshman power forward Alessandro Lever made two free throws to cut the lead to three. Trailing 83-80, the Lopes got the ball back with 19 seconds to go and set up a play that was well-executed with sophomore guard Fiifi Aidoo hitting Lever in the corner for a 3 that he missed.

"They're tough and we knew that coming in," Boise State head coach Leon Rice said. "That's a good basketball team. I told people that and everybody thought I was joking. They always think I'm Lou Holtz-ing it. I know what I saw on film. I know how good that team is. There won't be a lot of better teams than them in the WAC, I know that."

Benson scored a team-high 16 points and added seven rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes. Carr added 11 points off the bench while Lever and Braun each scored 10.

Boise State entered the game with the fifth-most 3-pointers made in the nation but only hit three in regulation and went five for 24 on 3s for the game.

"This one hurt right here," Vernon said. "We needed this one. It's time for us to get over that hump and we're right there. I told the team in the locker room, 'We've just go to push through. The hump is right there.' "

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.