Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 , Loss , 74, to, 79
M Basketball
at Baylor
L 74-79
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
8-12,3-3WAC
69
vs
73
Utah Valley
9-13,3-4WAC
1
2
F
Utah Valley
32
41
73
Grand Canyon
30
39
69
Defense slips in loss to Utah Valley
1/25/2020 8:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lever scores 20, grabs career-high 14 rebounds
For the previous six games, Grand Canyon held opponents to 37.6% shooting and found its identity goal to be the WAC's best defensive team.
Saturday night's home loss to Utah Valley was a reminder that goals can be moving targets for the future. The Lopes' off-defensive night allowed for the Wolverines to make 49.1% of their shots and win 73-69 despite a near-miraculous rally at sold-out GCU Arena.
Utah Valley (9-13, 3-4 WAC) used a 14-2 run to take the only double-digit lead for either team at 68-57 with 2:53 remaining. Inside of two minutes, GCU (8-12, 3-3) pulled off scoring nine consecutive points in 46 seconds to trail 68-66 with 1:14 to play but a Utah Valley second-chance basket made it a two-possession game for good.
The Lopes experienced two massive offensive droughts, going the final 9:52 of the first half without a field goal and then scoring once over a 6:26 stretch of the second half. But after allowing 40 points in the paint and 56.0% second-half shooting, GCU head coach Dan Majerle's disappointment laid in his defense's difficulty with stopping dribble penetration.
"That's where we've got to hang our hat: our toughness, being a nasty, competitive defensive team," Majerle said. "We were anything but that tonight. We're going to keep fighting, and I can guarantee you, we will get some competitive guys where their mindset is right. We've got to see how we bounce back."
The Lopes took their first lead in more than 19 minutes when junior swingman Carlos Johnson put Utah Valley's top player, Isaiah White, on the bench with his fourth foul with 9:20 to go. Johnson's free throw gave the Lopes a 55-54 lead but they scored on one of their 10 possessions, a stretch that included four turnovers.
After making more than 50% of their 3-point shots in two road wins, GCU went 1 for 14 on 3s against Seattle on Thursday and 4 for 21 against Utah Valley on Saturday (5 for 35, 14.3%, in two home games).
The Wolverines' zone defense stymied GCU until it played through junior center Alessandro Lever in the high post. Lever set a career high with 14 rebounds and scored 20 points for the sixth time this season.
Senior swingman Carlos Johnson led the Lopes with 21 points, nine of which came on free throws, but junior guard Mikey Dixon was off until he fueled the late rally. Dixon hit a 3-pointer and finished a 3-point play on a jumper as GCU closed the gap to 68-66.
With less than minute, the Lopes forced the ball out of the hands of Utah Valley guard T.J. Washington (24 points) and reserve Jamison Overton missed a 3-pointer. But Wolverines guard Casdon Jardine, who averages 4.6 rebounds, went unchecked from the perimeter and scored on a putback on his 13th rebound.
Utah Valley, in new head coach Mark Madsen's first GCU visit, won despite going 10 for 23 on free throws.
"We learned we need to stay hungry and don't be content," GCU freshman point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. said. "There's nothing we can do but to keep playing our heart out and it's eventually going to come.
"Defensively, we probably weren't all connected but we're going to get it together in practice. We're all going to lock in and next game we should be the great defensive team that we are."
This is the first time in five years that the Lopes played three consecutive games decided five points or fewer. Even with the loss, the Lopes remained in fourth place in the WAC, albeit tied now with Seattle U. A win could have put GCU in a tie for second place heading into next week's road trip to UT Rio Grande Valley and New Mexico State.
"We struggle shooting, but I thought we had turned a corner defensively with our toughness," Majerle said. "But we took a huge step back, and I'm extremely, extremely disappointed in that.
"It's about winning basketball. It's about loving your teammates. It's about sharing the ball."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Saturday night's home loss to Utah Valley was a reminder that goals can be moving targets for the future. The Lopes' off-defensive night allowed for the Wolverines to make 49.1% of their shots and win 73-69 despite a near-miraculous rally at sold-out GCU Arena.
Utah Valley (9-13, 3-4 WAC) used a 14-2 run to take the only double-digit lead for either team at 68-57 with 2:53 remaining. Inside of two minutes, GCU (8-12, 3-3) pulled off scoring nine consecutive points in 46 seconds to trail 68-66 with 1:14 to play but a Utah Valley second-chance basket made it a two-possession game for good.
The Lopes experienced two massive offensive droughts, going the final 9:52 of the first half without a field goal and then scoring once over a 6:26 stretch of the second half. But after allowing 40 points in the paint and 56.0% second-half shooting, GCU head coach Dan Majerle's disappointment laid in his defense's difficulty with stopping dribble penetration.
"That's where we've got to hang our hat: our toughness, being a nasty, competitive defensive team," Majerle said. "We were anything but that tonight. We're going to keep fighting, and I can guarantee you, we will get some competitive guys where their mindset is right. We've got to see how we bounce back."
The Lopes took their first lead in more than 19 minutes when junior swingman Carlos Johnson put Utah Valley's top player, Isaiah White, on the bench with his fourth foul with 9:20 to go. Johnson's free throw gave the Lopes a 55-54 lead but they scored on one of their 10 possessions, a stretch that included four turnovers.
After making more than 50% of their 3-point shots in two road wins, GCU went 1 for 14 on 3s against Seattle on Thursday and 4 for 21 against Utah Valley on Saturday (5 for 35, 14.3%, in two home games).
The Wolverines' zone defense stymied GCU until it played through junior center Alessandro Lever in the high post. Lever set a career high with 14 rebounds and scored 20 points for the sixth time this season.
Senior swingman Carlos Johnson led the Lopes with 21 points, nine of which came on free throws, but junior guard Mikey Dixon was off until he fueled the late rally. Dixon hit a 3-pointer and finished a 3-point play on a jumper as GCU closed the gap to 68-66.
With less than minute, the Lopes forced the ball out of the hands of Utah Valley guard T.J. Washington (24 points) and reserve Jamison Overton missed a 3-pointer. But Wolverines guard Casdon Jardine, who averages 4.6 rebounds, went unchecked from the perimeter and scored on a putback on his 13th rebound.
Utah Valley, in new head coach Mark Madsen's first GCU visit, won despite going 10 for 23 on free throws.
"We learned we need to stay hungry and don't be content," GCU freshman point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. said. "There's nothing we can do but to keep playing our heart out and it's eventually going to come.
"Defensively, we probably weren't all connected but we're going to get it together in practice. We're all going to lock in and next game we should be the great defensive team that we are."
This is the first time in five years that the Lopes played three consecutive games decided five points or fewer. Even with the loss, the Lopes remained in fourth place in the WAC, albeit tied now with Seattle U. A win could have put GCU in a tie for second place heading into next week's road trip to UT Rio Grande Valley and New Mexico State.
"We struggle shooting, but I thought we had turned a corner defensively with our toughness," Majerle said. "But we took a huge step back, and I'm extremely, extremely disappointed in that.
"It's about winning basketball. It's about loving your teammates. It's about sharing the ball."
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Team Stats
UVU
GCU
FG%
.491
.400
3FG%
.304
.190
FT%
.435
.708
RB
37
38
TO
8
9
STL
7
1
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
20
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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