Rematch awaits at improved USD

Saturday, Dec. 29 \| 8 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| San Diego

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (7-5)	VS	SAN DIEGO TOREROS (10-4)

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When Grand Canyon visits San Diego on Saturday night, it is not a revenge game for the Toreros winning at GCU Arena last season.

The Lopes had themselves to blame for losing a seven-point lead down the stretch at home. GCU will need to be better but not bitter when it gets a second crack at San Diego (10-4) because the Toreros return nearly all of that 20-win team and are undefeated at home this season.

GCU (7-5) aims to take a three-game winning streak into next week's start of WAC play when it tips off Saturday at 8 p.m. (Phoenix time) in Jenny Craig Pavilion.

"We know we can lose on any given night," said Lopes junior swingman Oscar Frayer, thinking back to the 72-62 loss to San Diego last season. "We have to bring it in order to win. They have two really good small guards who were killing us a lot (last year). Their bigs played really well against us. We lost to them so we need a win this time."

The four Toreros who each scored 15 or more points at GCU last year all return this season. That group features 6-foot-7 senior forward Isaiah Pineiro, who ranks 36^th in the nation for points per game (20.6) on 54.5 percent shooting. He also grabs 8.0 rebounds per game. His scoring is complemented by 6-3 senior guard Olin Carter III, who averages 17.3 points, and 6-2 senior point guard Isaiah Wright, who averages 13.2 points and 5.0 assists.

"They're really good," Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said. "They're a veteran team that's been around, that's got guys back from last year and that's playing extremely well. So I expect it to be a really good test for us."

GCU is coming off a quality win at Northern Iowa and a home win against Mississippi Valley State that turned decisive after a sluggish start Saturday. Sophomore Alessandro Lever posted a season-high 26 points against Mississippi Valley State but had not earned a starting role last year when GCU faced San Diego. He scored two points in 12 minutes. Lopes returnees accounted for only 22 points in that loss, including 12 from Frayer.

"It's going to be a really tough game, mostly because they are playing at home and they're a great team," Lever said.

San Diego is 7-0 at home, including a win against Colorado, and is coming off the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic, where it beat Washington State 82-75 and lost 110-103 to Drake in double overtime.

The Toreros shoot 48.7 percent from the field as a team to rank 38^th in the nation. They shot 49.2 percent against GCU last season.

The Lopes had a four-day Christmas break but resumed practice Thursday.

"I don't think our guys would be chilling," GCU junior guard Carlos Johnson said. "They know what's at stake here. They know that, with everything we do, it counts for us."

The Lopes managed to win the past two games without 6-10 senior power forward Michael Finke, who is out with a foot injury. Matt Jackson, a 6-8 senior, has started in Finke's place and is having his best season by player efficiency rating.

Frayer is coming off his first consecutive double-digit scoring games of the season after closing last season with a 10.8 scoring average during WAC play. He has found his 3-point shooting stroke, going from making 7 of 28 (25 percent) in the first seven games to 12 of 25 (48 percent) over the past six games.

"He was good and made some shots," Majerle said of Frayer's Saturday 5-for-9 performance from 3-point range. "That's fine but I'm more concerned with his rebounds. If he's going to be one of our best players, he has to contribute defensively and he's got to contribute rebounding the basketball and he's got to be a leader."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Saturday, Dec. 29 | 8 p.m. (Phoenix time) | San Diego

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Players Mentioned

Michael Finke

Oscar Frayer

Matt Jackson

Carlos Johnson

Alessandro Lever

Grand Canyon University Athletics