Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #2 South Carolina on November 3, 2025 , Loss , 54, to, 94
W Basketball
at #2 South Carolina
L 54-94
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Sunday, December 16
Long Beach, Calif.
5 p.m.
Grand Canyon
2-7
50
at
57
Long Beach State
2-10
1
2
3
4
F
Grand Canyon
14
10
17
9
50
Long Beach State
9
21
19
8
57
Cephas gets double-double in loss
12/16/2018 7:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Senior records 12 points, 12 rebounds at Long Beach State
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Grand Canyon senior AJ Cephas recorded her first double-double of the season Sunday while leading the Lopes in points and rebounds but GCU fell 57-50 at Long Beach State.
The California native scored 12 points and grabbed a team season-high 12 rebounds while going 4 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 at the free throw line.
A trio of GCU freshmen tied for the second-most points in the game, with Laura Piera, Venla Varis and Taylor Caldwell each recording nine points. Caldwell led the Lopes in assists with four while junior Da'Jah Daniel hit a season-high mark with six rebounds.
Each team got off to a slow start Sunday night, going scoreless for the first two minutes and 38 seconds. Cephas recorded the first points of the game with a three-point play on on a layup. Piera also helped give the Lopes an early lead, scoring five points to put the Lopes ahead 14-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Piera opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer that put GCU ahead 17-9 and the Lopes were leading 19-12 before Long Beach State (2-10) retook the lead with an 8-0 run. The 21-10 second quarter put the 49ers ahead for good.
The Lopes (2-7) did fight back in the third quarter, hitting a seven-point run to close the gap to one point in the first four minutes of the quarter. However, the Lopes were unable to regain the lead and entered the final quarter trailing 49-41.
The fourth quarter was the lowest-scoring period for both teams. The Lopes outscored Long Beach State 9-8 and pulled within four when freshman and Long Beach native Kennadi Shorts made a short jump shot with 8:50 to go. That cut the 49ers lead to 49-45 but GCU did not make another field goal until another Shorts jumper more than five minutes later.
GCU continues its trip with a game at Santa Clara on Thursday at 3 p.m. The Lopes will open WAC play in the new year at Utah Valley on Jan. 3.
The California native scored 12 points and grabbed a team season-high 12 rebounds while going 4 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 at the free throw line.
A trio of GCU freshmen tied for the second-most points in the game, with Laura Piera, Venla Varis and Taylor Caldwell each recording nine points. Caldwell led the Lopes in assists with four while junior Da'Jah Daniel hit a season-high mark with six rebounds.
Each team got off to a slow start Sunday night, going scoreless for the first two minutes and 38 seconds. Cephas recorded the first points of the game with a three-point play on on a layup. Piera also helped give the Lopes an early lead, scoring five points to put the Lopes ahead 14-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Piera opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer that put GCU ahead 17-9 and the Lopes were leading 19-12 before Long Beach State (2-10) retook the lead with an 8-0 run. The 21-10 second quarter put the 49ers ahead for good.
The Lopes (2-7) did fight back in the third quarter, hitting a seven-point run to close the gap to one point in the first four minutes of the quarter. However, the Lopes were unable to regain the lead and entered the final quarter trailing 49-41.
The fourth quarter was the lowest-scoring period for both teams. The Lopes outscored Long Beach State 9-8 and pulled within four when freshman and Long Beach native Kennadi Shorts made a short jump shot with 8:50 to go. That cut the 49ers lead to 49-45 but GCU did not make another field goal until another Shorts jumper more than five minutes later.
GCU continues its trip with a game at Santa Clara on Thursday at 3 p.m. The Lopes will open WAC play in the new year at Utah Valley on Jan. 3.
Team Stats
GCUW
LBSU
FG%
.409
.368
3FG%
.313
.348
FT%
.750
.389
RB
39
30
TO
24
11
STL
7
13
Game Leaders
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
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