Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, February 9
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
14-9, 7-3WAC
64
vs
67
New Mexico State
20-4, 9-1WAC
1
2
F
New Mexico St.
35
32
67
Grand Canyon
33
31
64
Aggies clean glass, sweep series
2/9/2019 11:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
NMSU uses 27 second-chance points to down GCU 67-64
After not rebounding enough to beat New Mexico State on Saturday night, the Lopes will have to rebound from another tight loss to the WAC-leading Aggies.
GCU missed a chance to tie NMSU for first place in the conference Saturday night when the Aggies used 27 second-chance points for the only decisive statistical difference in their 67-64 win before a crowd of 7,495, the third largest in GCU Arena history.
The Lopes (14-9, 7-3 WAC) went winless on a WAC homestand for the first time, following a flat loss Thursday to Texas-Rio Grande Valley with an energy-filled thriller Saturday against NMSU (20-4, 9-1 WAC).
Trailing 62-53 with 3:30 to play, the Lopes staged a late comeback again on the Aggies. The result did not match the heartbreak of losing in Las Cruces, N.M., on a half-court shot but the disappointment of a fifth consecutive loss to NMSU was nearly the same.
The Lopes rallied with a 9-1 run but made two key final-minute mistakes – a turnover when they had a chance to take the lead and allowing the Aggies' 14th offensive rebound (guard Travelin Queen's fifth) when they could have taken possession trailing by two points with 25 seconds to go.
"I told our guys, 'If we win the rebounding war, we win the game,' and we got beat badly on the rebounding war, so we lost the game," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "We played well enough to win. They played good. We played good. It came down to rebounding."
Like Thursday night, GCU misfired on a long-distance prayer at the buzzer Saturday night and lost by three points. On Saturday, both teams shot 45 percent and committed 16 fouls. They were one apart on turnovers and bench points.
But with twice as many offensive rebounds (14 to 7), NMSU took nine more shots in a game it won by three points.
"They destroyed us on the boards," GCU sophomore center Alessandro Lever said. "That's what killed us. They weren't shooting that well. We didn't allow them to go to the free throw line a lot. That's how they won the game. They destroyed us on the boards and we couldn't stop them."
Rebounding has been a deciding factor throughout GCU's season (13-2 when it wins the boards, 1-7 when it does not) but it was emphasized more than ever for NMSU, which ranks seventh in the nation for rebounding margin.
"I told our guys there is no reason to be upset," said Majerle, whose team had gone 9-0 at home until Thursday. "You knew what the game plan was and you got your butt kicked on rebounding."
Senior power forward Michael Finke led GCU with 16 points and added a career-high five assists, all in the first half when the Lopes also had to shake off a nine-point hole. Finke hit junior swingman Oscar Frayer for a game-tying 3 that capped a 15-6 run but the Aggies went to halftime with a 35-33 lead fittingly on a second-chance score at the buzzer.
Neither team shot a free throw in the first half until there was 2:39 remaining.
"They (the Lopes) were coming off the loss that they didn't expect and we were going to take their best shot," NMSU head coach Chris Jans said. "Their backs were against the wall. We wanted to play a little bit looser and freer and just play our basketball and not get caught up in a must-win situation. The guys were really locked in."
GCU pounced on NMSU to open the second half, scoring the first eight points after Finke made back-to-back 3s to send Majerle onto the floor with arms up to the Havocs sections during a time out.
The Lopes then went without making a field goal for 10 minutes until Finke scored again. GCU did not hold a lead for the final 10:55 of the game.
NMSU guard Terrell Brown, a high school teammate of Frayer and GCU sophomore point guard Damari Milstead, made 3-pointers on three consecutive trips to put the Aggies ahead 62-53 with 3:55 to go.
"It's real special," Brown said of facing his Hayward (Calif.) Moreau Catholic teammates. "We had to get those two wins. It's everything. We're a rival (with GCU). I have brothers on the team."
GCU remains alone in second place in the WAC but two games behind NMSU with six conference games remaining and the tiebreaker now in the Aggies' hands. The Lopes head to Kansas City and Chicago State next week and a goal to find its way to the March 16 WAC Tournament championship game in Las Vegas.
"It was a great game," Majerle said. "Can't wait to play them again. Hopefully, we do."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
GCU missed a chance to tie NMSU for first place in the conference Saturday night when the Aggies used 27 second-chance points for the only decisive statistical difference in their 67-64 win before a crowd of 7,495, the third largest in GCU Arena history.
The Lopes (14-9, 7-3 WAC) went winless on a WAC homestand for the first time, following a flat loss Thursday to Texas-Rio Grande Valley with an energy-filled thriller Saturday against NMSU (20-4, 9-1 WAC).
Trailing 62-53 with 3:30 to play, the Lopes staged a late comeback again on the Aggies. The result did not match the heartbreak of losing in Las Cruces, N.M., on a half-court shot but the disappointment of a fifth consecutive loss to NMSU was nearly the same.
The Lopes rallied with a 9-1 run but made two key final-minute mistakes – a turnover when they had a chance to take the lead and allowing the Aggies' 14th offensive rebound (guard Travelin Queen's fifth) when they could have taken possession trailing by two points with 25 seconds to go.
"I told our guys, 'If we win the rebounding war, we win the game,' and we got beat badly on the rebounding war, so we lost the game," GCU head coach Dan Majerle said. "We played well enough to win. They played good. We played good. It came down to rebounding."
Like Thursday night, GCU misfired on a long-distance prayer at the buzzer Saturday night and lost by three points. On Saturday, both teams shot 45 percent and committed 16 fouls. They were one apart on turnovers and bench points.
But with twice as many offensive rebounds (14 to 7), NMSU took nine more shots in a game it won by three points.
"They destroyed us on the boards," GCU sophomore center Alessandro Lever said. "That's what killed us. They weren't shooting that well. We didn't allow them to go to the free throw line a lot. That's how they won the game. They destroyed us on the boards and we couldn't stop them."
Rebounding has been a deciding factor throughout GCU's season (13-2 when it wins the boards, 1-7 when it does not) but it was emphasized more than ever for NMSU, which ranks seventh in the nation for rebounding margin.
"I told our guys there is no reason to be upset," said Majerle, whose team had gone 9-0 at home until Thursday. "You knew what the game plan was and you got your butt kicked on rebounding."
Senior power forward Michael Finke led GCU with 16 points and added a career-high five assists, all in the first half when the Lopes also had to shake off a nine-point hole. Finke hit junior swingman Oscar Frayer for a game-tying 3 that capped a 15-6 run but the Aggies went to halftime with a 35-33 lead fittingly on a second-chance score at the buzzer.
Neither team shot a free throw in the first half until there was 2:39 remaining.
"They (the Lopes) were coming off the loss that they didn't expect and we were going to take their best shot," NMSU head coach Chris Jans said. "Their backs were against the wall. We wanted to play a little bit looser and freer and just play our basketball and not get caught up in a must-win situation. The guys were really locked in."
GCU pounced on NMSU to open the second half, scoring the first eight points after Finke made back-to-back 3s to send Majerle onto the floor with arms up to the Havocs sections during a time out.
The Lopes then went without making a field goal for 10 minutes until Finke scored again. GCU did not hold a lead for the final 10:55 of the game.
NMSU guard Terrell Brown, a high school teammate of Frayer and GCU sophomore point guard Damari Milstead, made 3-pointers on three consecutive trips to put the Aggies ahead 62-53 with 3:55 to go.
"It's real special," Brown said of facing his Hayward (Calif.) Moreau Catholic teammates. "We had to get those two wins. It's everything. We're a rival (with GCU). I have brothers on the team."
GCU remains alone in second place in the WAC but two games behind NMSU with six conference games remaining and the tiebreaker now in the Aggies' hands. The Lopes head to Kansas City and Chicago State next week and a goal to find its way to the March 16 WAC Tournament championship game in Las Vegas.
"It was a great game," Majerle said. "Can't wait to play them again. Hopefully, we do."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Team Stats
NMSU
GCU
FG%
.448
.449
3FG%
.346
.348
FT%
.600
.750
RB
36
28
TO
12
11
STL
4
6
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballG
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