Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Kapow! Midnight Madness strikes
10/6/2018 2:12:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Packed arena parties with coaches as superheroes
A sun-splashed campus turned as dark and daunting as Gotham City.
An arena became a noisy nightclub full of characters in the crowd and on the floor.
A basketball season began with two nights of 840 students camping on concrete for a shivery show capped by a precious promise.
Toward the end of a DC Comics-themed Midnight Madness, Grand Canyon men's basketball coach Dan Majerle wore a Batman costume as he drove onto the "Gotham City University Arena" court in a Batmobile with Lopes women's basketball head coach Nicole Powell riding shotgun and toting a shield and sword as Wonder Woman.
"You never cease to amaze me," Majerle told the crowd. "This is my sixth year at Grand Canyon and every year it gets better. We had a great year last year. We're going to have a better year this year.
"You, as a student body, by far … and it's not top five, it's not top four … you are the best student body. So let's continue that this year and let's make this the hardest place to play in the nation. We don't lose at home. And I promise these ladies and these men are going to play as hard as we can and we will go to the NCAA Tournament this year."
That statement, followed by a mic drop, was music to GCU fans' ears as much the Batman-style music that greeted them in an arena with a grim Gotham scene.
"We love you; we appreciate you," Powell told the fans. "You guys are a-maz-ing!"
Students lined around The Quad, past the Lopes Shop, down the Promenade to the Student Union and along Lopes Way for a chance at the best seats. With GCU Arena lit in purple and green, the quintessential dope-to-be-a-Lope night got started with a women's 3-point shootout and a men's scrimmage (wink, dunk show) as students filled out the upper deck's final seats.
"It blew me away," said Da'Jah Daniel, a junior college transfer experiencing it for the first time. "I love the environment. It was a whole different thing to experience. I feel honored for them to give us that positive energy."
It was the only night fans will see 6-foot-10 Alessandro Lever at point guard or an actual point guard, Isiah Brown, turning away with his arms up as soon as Matt Jackson released a 3-pointer.
Carlos Johnson and Oscar Frayer put on a dunk-off on opposing teams and Michael Finke lobbed to his brother Tim just like it was a mini-hoop at their childhood Illinois home.
The Purple Pregame Party kicked off 10 minutes before midnight after a Scarecrow-mask-donning band director, Paul Koch, led his eclectically costumed group.
Three sections of students were covered with the unveiling of banners proclaiming "Go Lopes," "GCU Havocs" and "Welcome to the Party." A stampede of energy built to the midnight countdown, when the lights went off and sounds of thunderous rain and a light show filled the arena.
Bane was chillin' like a villain in the rafters as the Havocs locked arms and swayed while basketball highlights played. Menacing sounds forebode the arrival of Thunder as The Joker with Havocs leaders in tow as the Suicide Squad.
The GCU Dance Team performed as Catwomen before public address announcer Paul Danuser, er, Alfred Pennyworth introduced the players emerging to personalized music.
Sophomore Jenay Bojorquez was first for the women's team and then turned to record her teammates coming out one by one. Apparently, Finland is on to Travis Scott because incoming freshman Finn Venla Varis sang along to "Goosebumps."
Frayer recorded himself dancing out to Mac Dre's "Get Stupid," appropriately rapping, "Everywhere we go, it's a party y'all."
Senior Gerard Martin could have won GCU Lip Sync Battle when the Australian enthralled the crowd and his teammates with "Watch Out" by 2 Chainz.
"They've all been great," Martin said after his final Midnight Madness. "I haven't taken one of them for granted. It's such an amazing night with what the school does for us."
But wait, there's more. The sixth Midnight Madness did not end with the GCU fight song for the first time. The arena lights again went off and a teaser played on the screen like at the end of superhero movies.
The video showed GCU President Brian Mueller standing in his office as a cup of water began to quiver on his desk.
A graphic emerged: "Jurassic University Midnight Madness 2019."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
An arena became a noisy nightclub full of characters in the crowd and on the floor.
A basketball season began with two nights of 840 students camping on concrete for a shivery show capped by a precious promise.
Toward the end of a DC Comics-themed Midnight Madness, Grand Canyon men's basketball coach Dan Majerle wore a Batman costume as he drove onto the "Gotham City University Arena" court in a Batmobile with Lopes women's basketball head coach Nicole Powell riding shotgun and toting a shield and sword as Wonder Woman.
"You never cease to amaze me," Majerle told the crowd. "This is my sixth year at Grand Canyon and every year it gets better. We had a great year last year. We're going to have a better year this year.
"You, as a student body, by far … and it's not top five, it's not top four … you are the best student body. So let's continue that this year and let's make this the hardest place to play in the nation. We don't lose at home. And I promise these ladies and these men are going to play as hard as we can and we will go to the NCAA Tournament this year."
That statement, followed by a mic drop, was music to GCU fans' ears as much the Batman-style music that greeted them in an arena with a grim Gotham scene.
There were more Jokers in the crowd than in a casino. Students and band members also wore a wide range of other costumes while a forklift driver even donned a Joker mask.Coaches @DanMajerle and @NPowell_GCU know how to make an entrance! #LopesUp pic.twitter.com/PUWWLnKUio
— GCU Lopes (@GCU_Lopes) October 6, 2018
"We love you; we appreciate you," Powell told the fans. "You guys are a-maz-ing!"
Students lined around The Quad, past the Lopes Shop, down the Promenade to the Student Union and along Lopes Way for a chance at the best seats. With GCU Arena lit in purple and green, the quintessential dope-to-be-a-Lope night got started with a women's 3-point shootout and a men's scrimmage (wink, dunk show) as students filled out the upper deck's final seats.
"It blew me away," said Da'Jah Daniel, a junior college transfer experiencing it for the first time. "I love the environment. It was a whole different thing to experience. I feel honored for them to give us that positive energy."
It was the only night fans will see 6-foot-10 Alessandro Lever at point guard or an actual point guard, Isiah Brown, turning away with his arms up as soon as Matt Jackson released a 3-pointer.
Carlos Johnson and Oscar Frayer put on a dunk-off on opposing teams and Michael Finke lobbed to his brother Tim just like it was a mini-hoop at their childhood Illinois home.
The Purple Pregame Party kicked off 10 minutes before midnight after a Scarecrow-mask-donning band director, Paul Koch, led his eclectically costumed group.
Three sections of students were covered with the unveiling of banners proclaiming "Go Lopes," "GCU Havocs" and "Welcome to the Party." A stampede of energy built to the midnight countdown, when the lights went off and sounds of thunderous rain and a light show filled the arena.
Bane was chillin' like a villain in the rafters as the Havocs locked arms and swayed while basketball highlights played. Menacing sounds forebode the arrival of Thunder as The Joker with Havocs leaders in tow as the Suicide Squad.
The GCU Dance Team performed as Catwomen before public address announcer Paul Danuser, er, Alfred Pennyworth introduced the players emerging to personalized music.
Sophomore Jenay Bojorquez was first for the women's team and then turned to record her teammates coming out one by one. Apparently, Finland is on to Travis Scott because incoming freshman Finn Venla Varis sang along to "Goosebumps."
Frayer recorded himself dancing out to Mac Dre's "Get Stupid," appropriately rapping, "Everywhere we go, it's a party y'all."
Senior Gerard Martin could have won GCU Lip Sync Battle when the Australian enthralled the crowd and his teammates with "Watch Out" by 2 Chainz.
"They've all been great," Martin said after his final Midnight Madness. "I haven't taken one of them for granted. It's such an amazing night with what the school does for us."
But wait, there's more. The sixth Midnight Madness did not end with the GCU fight song for the first time. The arena lights again went off and a teaser played on the screen like at the end of superhero movies.
The video showed GCU President Brian Mueller standing in his office as a cup of water began to quiver on his desk.
A graphic emerged: "Jurassic University Midnight Madness 2019."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G
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