Lopes step up in loss to Illinois

Friday, November 8

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

0-2,0-0WAC

Illinois

2-0,0-0Big Ten

Illinois

Grand Canyon

11/8/2019 11:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score GCU-Illinois Gallery

GCU overcame foul trouble to challenge Fighting Ilini

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon faced a huge team in Illinois on Friday night but showed huge improvement from its season opener.

The Lopes encountered a massive obstacle when star Alessandro Lever fouled out with 10:10 to play but gave massive effort in his absence.

GCU fell into monster double-digit deficits but fought like monsters to trail Illinois by four points with four minutes remaining before losing 83-71 in front of 7,498 fans, the third-largest crowd in GCU basketball history.

"I was very proud of our guys," Lopes head coach Dan Majerle said. "I thought they played with a lot of passion and heart. Played hard. It was a big step from what we experienced in our first game, which was a very big disappointment. So I'm happy with our guys. We're going to build on this. We're going to hunker down. We're going to practice hard and I guarantee we're going to be good. We've got a good bunch of guys in there and they're starting to get a taste for it."

The Lopes faced foul troubles from the get-go, were doubled in rebounding (52-26) and allowed 16 fastbreak points but gave what could be its biggest and best nonconference opponent this season all it could sustain. With 18 points from junior guard Isiah Brown and 14 points from freshman point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr., the Lopes showed as much belief and effort as their fans who disrupted Illinois.

Illini head coach Brad Underwood said it was one of the loudest venues he ever has experienced in 31 years of coaching college basketball.

"Literally, we are in a timeout and the guys can't hear," Underwood said. "It's well done and kudos to everybody that has participated in that. It's a special place and it's a great home-court advantage."

The crowd tried to help carry GCU (0-2) through rough patches, like Lever picking up his first foul against Illinois 7-foot, 290-pound freshman Kofi Cockburn (23 points, 14 rebounds) in the game's first 29 seconds. Lever and Blacksher were limited by three first-half fouls apiece but GCU still trailed only 41-37 at halftime. Better ball movement, 3-point shooting (8 for 19 in the game) and adherence to the defensive game plan showed progress from a season-opening loss Tuesday.
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That competitiveness crumbled early in the second half, especially once Lever drew his fourth foul while GCU was on offense in the first two minutes. Less than five minutes into the half, the Lopes trailed 56-41 and treaded water for several minutes before an apparent deathknell with Lever fouling out after 16 minutes of action and 12 points.

There was no quit.

"We have a real passionate coach, like a very passionate coach," Blacksher said. "When he gets going, he gets us going and we just want to win."

A smallish GCU lineup of senior power forward Lorenzo Jenkins and four guards – Blacksher, Brown, senior Carlos Johnson and junior J.J. Rhymes – played the final 10 minutes and rattled the Illini by spreading their defense out.

"Dan's a heck of a coach," Underwood said. "He sees a crack and he's going to go at you. He did with the drives. He found a way to manage the game with Lever out."

Jenkins made a pair of 3s. Rhymes scored on two consecutive drives, including a 3-point play. Brown and Rhymes stripped Illinois dribblers. After a Blacksher drive drew a foul for two free throws and Johnson scored on a post-up, the Lopes had completed a 16-6 run over six minutes and trailed 71-67 with 4:07 remaining.

"I was proud of the way we fought," Brown said. "It was definitely kind of a gut-check moment for us, especially coming off Tuesday and the physical challenge they were going to bring. We battled. We scrapped all the way through for 40 minutes. We came up short but it was definitely an encouraging thing we can learn from and take to San Diego State (on Wednesday)."

GCU's effort was outdone by Illinois' execution down the stretch. The Illini (2-0) answered by scoring their final four baskets on rim attacks to keep the Lopes from getting any closer.

Shooting percentages were similar for GCU (44.3%) and Illinois (45.3%) but the Illini grabbed 20 offensive rebounds for more scoring chances. Much of that came at the free throw line, where Illinois shot 30 to GCU's 16 and converted them better.

The Lopes still gave a performance worthy of attracting a celebrity-dotted crowd, including actor Frankie Muniz at courtside, and several NBA scouts for GCU's first Power Five visitor since 2016.

"We've got to build on it," Majerle said. "Our guys are starting to figure it out. We've got a lot of new guys and it's taking a while. They're starting to figure it out and get a taste for it. They understand. They saw the progress from how bad they played the first night to this. It's so much more fun to play that way, the way we played tonight together and sharing the basketball.

"I see it in their eyes now. I see they're excited and want to get it going."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.