Finke rolls to Chicago off big game

Saturday, Feb. 16 \| 1:05 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Chicago

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (14-10, 7-4)	VS	CHICAGO STATE COUGARS (3-22, 0-10)

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CHICAGO – Grand Canyon senior power forward Michael Finke scored more points in Thursday night's second half (21) than he had in any previous game this season.

Finke scored more points against Kansas City than he had in any game since he dropped 42 on Kankakee (Ill.) High School five years ago.

Finke's line of 36 points, nine rebounds and five assists only has been duplicated against a Division I opponent this season by Murray State's Ja Morant, the 2019 NBA draft's projected No. 2 pick. But Morant made 10 turnovers that game. Finke did not have one.

None of it matters to Finke because the Lopes lost in overtime despite his effort. He would rather go scoreless Saturday and end a three-game GCU losing streak at Chicago State than have a career night in a loss.

"It was fun but, at the end of the day, it really didn't matter," Finke said. "We lost. I honestly couldn't care less about it. I wanted to get a win so that's what we'll try to do (at Chicago State)."

GCU (14-10, 7-4 WAC) is looking ahead to visiting the last-place Cougars (3-22, 0-10 WAC) after slipping into a three-way tie for second place with CSU Bakersfield and Texas-Rio Grande Valley. But there is enough significance with Finke's individual feats to look back to Thursday.

Finke's 36-point game was efficient with 16-for-22 shooting. Only six Division I players have scored 36 or more this season with a higher field goal percentage, including the 40-point game that Seton Hall's Myles Powell posted against GCU at the Wooden Legacy tournament in November.

Finke had not approached such offense with a previous high mark of 24, set as an Illinois freshman against Western Carolina in December 2015.

There was no early hint that Finke was set to explode offensively at Kansas City. He missed an uncontested putback on his first shot and did not score until the game's fifth minute.

From there, he unleashed a varied offense. Finke squared up for wing jumpers three times. He scored rolling off screens three times. He scored on follows three times. He made a 3-pointer and dunk twice off backcuts. Once he got rolling, he uncorked a dribbling, running hook.

"I just want to stay aggressive," Finke said. "That's something I've been thinking about a lot and trying to do more lately. When the shot's there, take it and knock it in – inside, outside. Be strong in the post and do what I can. A big part of it too is rebounding. The more active I am on the boards, it just gets me going and I'm able to fuel off that. I've got to do a better job leading the team."

Finke joined his childhood friend, Nevada's Jordan Caroline, as one of 12 players to tally at least 36 points and nine rebounds in a road effort this season.

Finke had not played more than 30 minutes in a game until last Saturday against New Mexico State. He barely left the floor Thursday, logging 40 minutes and sitting for 23 seconds of the 25 minutes played after halftime.

"If I can go out there and run back and forth, I know I'm good enough," Finke said. "Until he takes me out, I'm just going to keep playing hard."

Finke only missed one shot in the second half but he even turned that into points when used the second chance to dish a no-look assist on an Alessandro Lever 3-point play. Finke matched his career high with five assists, helping Lever to an 18-point second half. The pair of 6-foot-10 big men accounted for 39 of GCU's 44 second-half points.

"When we're doing that, it's tough to guard us bigs that are able to score that," Finke said. "We've just got to keep going and be aggressive with it. We've had shots all year. We just haven't been consistent with making them. We've got to step up and be bigger parts of the offense and carry that over to the defensive end."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Saturday, Feb. 16 | 1:05 p.m. (Phoenix time) | Chicago

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Players Mentioned

Michael Finke

Alessandro Lever

Grand Canyon University Athletics