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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Rapid Recap: San Diego 61, GCU 58
12/29/2018 7:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
SAN DIEGO — Grand Canyon played its toughest non-conference schedule to prepare for WAC play as best it could.
When the Lopes open conference play Thursday, they will draw off the tougher competition and the tight finishes but lament ending the slate with another missed opportunity. GCU (7-6) nearly became the first of eight visitors to win at San Diego this season but did not make a field goal in the final three minutes of a 61-58 loss Saturday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Lopes sophomore center Alessandro Lever scored a season-high 27 points, including 18 of GCU's 24 first-half points. The Lopes held one of the most efficient offenses in the nation to 41.7 percent shooting but the lead exchanged six times in crunch time until two late 3-pointers by senior Isaiah Pineiro put the game away for San Diego (11-4).
GCU went on a 9-0 run to take a 52-51 lead with four minutes to go for its first advantage since midway through the first half. Senior point guard Trey Drechsel scored all 11 of his points in the second half, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer before the teams traded baskets down the stretch. After Pineiro's first 3-pointer gave San Diego a 58-56 lead with 2:18 to play, Lever tied the game with two free throws with 1:14 to play but Pineiro hit another 3-pointer for the 61-58 lead with 58.7 seconds to go.
GCU had two closing possession but a Lever post-up missed the rim and, following a San Diego miss, junior guard Carlos Johnson missed on a drive.
The Lopes shot 38.9 percent from the field but only committed seven turnovers.
GCU's issue with slow starts continued when San Diego took an 8-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. At that point, Lever was 0 for 3 from the field but he then got even more active during a 17-shot first half. That was as many shots as he took in the previous game against Mississippi Valley State, which was a season high for shots.
Lopes head coach Dan Majerle decided in recent games that GCU's offense would go through Lever more often and the WAC Preseason Player of the Year and Lopes' leading scorer only came off the floor for less than a minute of Saturday's first half.
With San Diego not doubling Lever early, his post advantage spurred a 9-0 GCU run that took a lead but the lack of supporting scorers could not hold the lead. Despite Lever's 18 first-half points, GCU trailed 28-24 at halftime because the other Lopes only went 3 for 12 from the field with no free throw attempts for the entire.
San Diego was playing without injured point guard Isaiah Wright, who nearly had a triple-double in the Toreros' win at GCU Arena last year and had been the team's second-leading scorer and top playmaker this season. GCU was missing senior power forward Michael Finke for the third consecutive game but his starting replacement, senior Matt Jackson, led the team's outstanding defensive job on San Diego senior power forward Isaiah Pineiro.
Pineiro, who was 36th in the nation in scoring, was only 2 for 11 from the field until he made two late-game 3-pointers. Pineiro finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Return to gculopes.com for Paul Coro's full game recap with comments from Dan Majerle and San Diego coach Sam Scholl.
When the Lopes open conference play Thursday, they will draw off the tougher competition and the tight finishes but lament ending the slate with another missed opportunity. GCU (7-6) nearly became the first of eight visitors to win at San Diego this season but did not make a field goal in the final three minutes of a 61-58 loss Saturday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Lopes sophomore center Alessandro Lever scored a season-high 27 points, including 18 of GCU's 24 first-half points. The Lopes held one of the most efficient offenses in the nation to 41.7 percent shooting but the lead exchanged six times in crunch time until two late 3-pointers by senior Isaiah Pineiro put the game away for San Diego (11-4).
GCU went on a 9-0 run to take a 52-51 lead with four minutes to go for its first advantage since midway through the first half. Senior point guard Trey Drechsel scored all 11 of his points in the second half, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer before the teams traded baskets down the stretch. After Pineiro's first 3-pointer gave San Diego a 58-56 lead with 2:18 to play, Lever tied the game with two free throws with 1:14 to play but Pineiro hit another 3-pointer for the 61-58 lead with 58.7 seconds to go.
GCU had two closing possession but a Lever post-up missed the rim and, following a San Diego miss, junior guard Carlos Johnson missed on a drive.
The Lopes shot 38.9 percent from the field but only committed seven turnovers.
GCU's issue with slow starts continued when San Diego took an 8-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. At that point, Lever was 0 for 3 from the field but he then got even more active during a 17-shot first half. That was as many shots as he took in the previous game against Mississippi Valley State, which was a season high for shots.
Lopes head coach Dan Majerle decided in recent games that GCU's offense would go through Lever more often and the WAC Preseason Player of the Year and Lopes' leading scorer only came off the floor for less than a minute of Saturday's first half.
With San Diego not doubling Lever early, his post advantage spurred a 9-0 GCU run that took a lead but the lack of supporting scorers could not hold the lead. Despite Lever's 18 first-half points, GCU trailed 28-24 at halftime because the other Lopes only went 3 for 12 from the field with no free throw attempts for the entire.
San Diego was playing without injured point guard Isaiah Wright, who nearly had a triple-double in the Toreros' win at GCU Arena last year and had been the team's second-leading scorer and top playmaker this season. GCU was missing senior power forward Michael Finke for the third consecutive game but his starting replacement, senior Matt Jackson, led the team's outstanding defensive job on San Diego senior power forward Isaiah Pineiro.
Pineiro, who was 36th in the nation in scoring, was only 2 for 11 from the field until he made two late-game 3-pointers. Pineiro finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Return to gculopes.com for Paul Coro's full game recap with comments from Dan Majerle and San Diego coach Sam Scholl.
Players Mentioned
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