GCU battles in loss to UCSB

Sunday, December 2

Santa Barbara, Calif.

3 P.M.

Grand Canyon

2-4

UC Santa Barbara

2-6

Grand Canyon

UCSB

12/2/2018 4:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Trio of Lopes score in the double digits

By: Cassidy Mace

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Grand Canyon women's basketball team had a late-game push at UC Santa Barbara on Sunday but lost 66-55 to the Gauchos.

GCU outscored UC Santa Barbara 22-9 in the fourth quarter, but were unable to take the lead.

Senior ShaRon Miller led the Lopes (2-4) with 12 points, including 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw line. The Blaine, Minn., native helped GCU (2-4) to its best team free throw percentage of the season at .750.

Lopes freshmen guards Laura Piera and Venla Varis had strong performances against the Gauchos (2-6), with Piera scoring 11 while handing out four assists and Varis adding 10 points.

GCU took the early lead, with Piera and Miller making back-to-back shots to put the Lopes ahead 5-4. Two unanswered 3-pointers gave the Gauchos momentum as they outscored the Lopes 19-13 in the first quarter.

UC Santa Barbara continued to build its lead, going on a six-point run to start the second quarter. The Gauchos scored 28 points in the second quarter, topping GCU's 15 to go into halftime with a 47-28 lead. Both teams struggled in the third quarter, with UC Santa Barbara outscoring GCU 10-5.

The Lopes battled in the fourth quarter, outscoring UC Santa Barbara 22-9. The Lopes came out strong in the final quarter, hitting their first four shots with four points from Piera and five from Varis in the first three minutes. Miller also went 6-for-6 from the free throw line to help cut the lead in the final quarter.

GCU brought the Gauchos' lead into the single digits for the first time since the first half when Piera stole the ball and passed to Taylor Caldwell for a 3-pointer. Despite the late push, the Lopes were unable to top the Gauchos.

GCU will be back home on Friday, Dec. 7, to take on Montana in GCU Arena at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time),