Bench duo rises into UVU game

Saturday, Jan. 25 \| 6 p.m. \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (8-11, 3-2)	VS	UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES (8-13, 2-4)

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When Grand Canyon's ranks drew tighter this season, the emphasis was on how having some of the best players in the WAC could make GCU a conference contender.

A shorter roster did not eliminate having a bench effect, as the Lopes proved Thursday night when senior power forward Lorenzo Jenkins and junior guard Isiah Brown each scored in double digits off the bench in an 80-77 win against Seattle U. The Lopes would like to have that rotation balance and a three-game winning streak carry on as they take on Utah Valley at 6 p.m. Saturday in GCU Arena.

"We need solid, consistent scoring from all of us," Jenkins said. "It can't just be one or two of us having a good night. In order for us to win, we've got to score, defend and play as a team. It's like everybody is pretty much a starter at this point."

The Lopes (8-11, 3-2 WAC) are aspiring to be the conference's best defensive team and are living up to it by holding WAC foes to conference-low 38.7% shooting.

Defense like that is backed up when primary scorers Mikey Dixon, Carlos Johnson and Alessandro Lever get support like Thursday, when Jenkins made 4 of 5 shots for 13 points and added a season-high six rebounds and Brown hit a career-high eight free throws without a miss for a 10-point, four-rebound game in 22 minutes.

"The more contributions, the more balanced and the more spread out we can be, it makes a different offensive team," Brown said. "We could score 80 points when we didn't even shoot the ball well. That makes you pretty dangerous. It makes other teams harder to game-plan for you and key in on guys because they have to respect everybody on the floor."

Brown and Jenkins are averaging career highs for points per game (9.3 and 8.6, respectively) and rebounds per game (4.4 and 2.7, respectively) this season.

Brown practiced with GCU for a year after transferring from Northwestern but had an offseason setback when a boat engine propeller deeply severed his upper right leg in August. Jenkins, a graduate transfer from Colorado State, is possibly following the path of previous Lopes graduate transfers Casey Benson and Michael Finke as players who found their strides in conference play.

"It took a little bit of an adjustment trying to get used to the scheme of things and the way we play," Jenkins said. "I just found myself trying to fit in. Now, I'm coming in with the mindset just to play hard and do whatever it takes to help the team win. It's starting to click now.

"I think about it being my last season often. I'm trying to enjoy every moment we have. I'm loving it and I'm glad I'm finishing up with this team."

The season reboot that the Lopes wanted in conference play has arrived, moving GCU into fourth place with a chance to ascend again if they can win their sixth consecutive home meeting with the Wolverines.

Utah Valley (8-13, 2-4) has given head coach Mark Madsen, the former Los Angeles Lakers player and assistant coach, a wild ride in his first season at the helm. The Wolverines started 3-1 and have gone 5-12 since then. Recently, Utah Valley was rocked 83-50 at Seattle before a tight win against UT Rio Grande Valley and an overtime loss Thursday night at CSU Bakersfield.

The Wolverines are led by 6-foot-7 junior guard Isaiah White's 14.3 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game while the backcourt of returning starter T.J. Washington and Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Averette combine for 25.3 points and 6.0 assists per game.

Utah Valley sticks to an eight-man rotation but gets about 19 points per game from its reserves, a unit that Brown and Jenkins can help match in impact.

"I'm happy with those guys," Majerle said. "I don't ask them to score a lot. I ask them to be solid defensively, make open shots and make the right play, and I thought both of those guys did a good job (on Thursday night)."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.

Saturday, Jan. 25 | 6 p.m. | Phoenix, Ariz.

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Players Mentioned

Casey Benson

Isiah Brown

Mikey Dixon

Michael Finke

Lorenzo Jenkins

Carlos Johnson

Alessandro Lever

Grand Canyon University Athletics