Staying power outlasts NAU for 4-0 start

Wednesday, December 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

4-0, 0-0WAC

Northern Arizona

3-2, 0-0Big Sky

Northern Ariz.

Grand Canyon

GCU moves to 4-0 after beating in-state foe NAU.

12/9/2020 9:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

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GCU goes on 19-2 run in 4th quarter; Scott posts 1st double-double

By: Paul Coro

The Grand Canyon women's basketball team already is getting familiar with a certain fourth-quarter look on its opponents.

Faces turn tired and worried. Movements slow and misfire. GCU's preseason training of defense, running and more defense has turned into a calling card that can overcome off-shooting games, such as when the Lopes rallied Wednesday night with a 19-2 start to the fourth quarter for a 66-58 victory against Northern Arizona at GCU Arena.

GCU moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2011 despite an 11-point second-half deficit and a six-point hole entering the fourth quarter.

"The fourth quarter is always going to be our game," GCU senior guard Ny'Dajah Jackson said.

The Lopes put away Loyola Marymount with a 24-6 fourth quarter Saturday and followed it up with a 23-9 final period against NAU, which scored seven of those points in the final inconsequential minute.

GCU was shooting 30.8% for the game to trail 49-43 after three quarters, but freshman center Katie Scott scored 12 of her 21 points in the fourth to follow up Saturday's 15-point fourth quarter.

The Lopes broke down NAU's zone and will by finding gaps in the paint and capitalizing on a defense that kept the Lumberjacks to 1-for-10 shooting and six turnovers over seven minutes.

"I'm so proud of the kids," said GCU head coach Molly Miller, whose nation-leading career record moved to 184-17. "There are two directions you can go when things aren't going your way: you can kind of fold, feel sorry for yourself, tuck your tail or you can get after it a little bit more. I saw that defense get after it and our defense really created our offense, which is what needed to happen."

The Lopes missed 15 of their first 21 shots of the game, but their defense turned over NAU regularly. GCU has racked up opponent turnover totals of 27, 28, 28 and 25 this season, but the Lopes also crashed for 10 offensive rebounds on Wednesday for a 15-2 edge in second-chance points. GCU sophomore guard Taylor Caldwell matched a career high with seven rebounds and Scott posted her first collegiate double-double – 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Without the pace where they wanted it, the Lopes trailed 31-25 at halftime and fell behind 39-28 before Miller's third-quarter time out began a game shift.

"They turned to grit instead of fear and anxiousness," Miller said. "For me, that's huge growth in this team. I'm very, very proud of them.

"We always tell them keep shooting and keep playing hard. I don't care what you do if you play hard. I think that showed down the stretch, is how tough and hard-nosed they played. It was fun. We always know the fourth quarter is where we shine."

Scott scored the first eight fourth-quarter points, including a pivot move that beat a double team in the post. As back-to-back post scores by freshman Tiarra Brown and junior Kennedi Shorts put GCU ahead 55-51 with 6:05 to play, the Lopes defense was amid a stretch of holding NAU scoreless for six minutes and 16 seconds.

Brown's return from a hamstring injury provided a boost of four steals and a fierce blocked shot in 12 minutes of play.

This was a NAU team that entered GCU Arena at 3-1 with a road win at UNLV, a road sweep of Eastern Washington and a 13-pont loss at No. 7 Arizona. Playing from behind challenged Miller for halftime adjustments, a rare necessity during her dominating run at Drury with frequent blowouts and one loss in the previous two seasons.

The Lumberjacks were plus-6.5 in turnover margin for the season, but landed at minus-14 against GCU.

"With all the training camp and all the running and all the miles, we were like, 'Ah, it's draining,' " said Jackson, the Lopes' only double-digit scorer in every game after notching 12 points vs. NAU. "But as we see, it's working. Other teams don't do that so it's a benefit for us."