Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus San Diego State on February 4, 2026 , Win , 57, to, 44
W Basketball
vs San Diego State
W 57-44
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Insider: Tourney time tips in Vegas
3/11/2020 10:20:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro, Lopes Insider Blog
GCU starts 3-win quest with CSU Bakersfield
LAS VEGAS – Throughout the season, the Grand Canyon women's basketball team has spent time with a life coach who meets with them together regularly.
In their last meeting before leaving for Wednesday night's WAC Tournament first-round game against CSU Bakersfield, each player and coach stood before the other Lopes and told them what each needed to be at optimum.
The wishes for positivity, energy, trust and others built up until Lopes head coach Nicole Powell made the same request that she made of her young team at the start of the season. She wants their best effort and attitude.
After a season in which GCU shocked the WAC by sitting in first place at the three-quarters points, the team that was picked to finish seventh now knows it can do more with those things Powell has emphasized.
That starts with avenging two regular-season losses to CSU Bakersfield, which beat GCU 49-41 in the regular-season finale to have the Lopes finish with a second-place, 10-6 WAC record after leading at 10-2. Because of a Chicago State forfeit to Utah Valley and GCU's tiebreaker with the Wolverines, the Lopes are the No. 3 seed playing the sixth-seeded Roadrunners at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Orleans Arena.
"Because we're so young, I don't want us to worry about the moment," Powell said of the single-elimination tournament that decides a NCAA tournament berth. "It's just another game that we want to win. We'll try to be as prepared as we can and be sharp and ready to go."
GCU was picked to finish low because it has one upperclassmen in a 10-player rotation, half of which are new to Division I.
But with a defense that has held opponents to 38.4% shooting, the Lopes have emerged into a WAC title contender with senior power forward Da'jah Daniel ranking among the nation's top post players and freshman point guard Jada Holland bursting onto the scene with an All-WAC first-team season. The pair combines to rank first or second in the WAC in four categories.
"All we have to do is play with the right tempo, defend well and go score," said Daniel, who ranks 27th nationally for rebounds per game (10.3) and field goal percentage (54.8%). "And we can do it. Everybody has seen that we can. We all have to contribute. We're going to stay together and keep pushing for each other."
GCU opened the conference season with a 59-54 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Jan. 4, when it did not make a 3-pointer. It ended the season with a 49-41 loss at CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, when it committed 27 turnovers.
The Lopes believe neither of those things will repeat with the season on the line.
"I feel like we can win," Daniel said. "We have a very deep team. I think we can do some damage."
Since the Saturday loss to the Roadrunners, the practice discussion has been about getting better daily and the coaches saw it happening. GCU's defensive calling card was there Saturday, when it held CSU Bakersfield to 13% shooting in the first half.
"The effort was there but now we need attention to detail and focus," Powell said.
In their last meeting before leaving for Wednesday night's WAC Tournament first-round game against CSU Bakersfield, each player and coach stood before the other Lopes and told them what each needed to be at optimum.
The wishes for positivity, energy, trust and others built up until Lopes head coach Nicole Powell made the same request that she made of her young team at the start of the season. She wants their best effort and attitude.
After a season in which GCU shocked the WAC by sitting in first place at the three-quarters points, the team that was picked to finish seventh now knows it can do more with those things Powell has emphasized.
That starts with avenging two regular-season losses to CSU Bakersfield, which beat GCU 49-41 in the regular-season finale to have the Lopes finish with a second-place, 10-6 WAC record after leading at 10-2. Because of a Chicago State forfeit to Utah Valley and GCU's tiebreaker with the Wolverines, the Lopes are the No. 3 seed playing the sixth-seeded Roadrunners at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in Orleans Arena.
"Because we're so young, I don't want us to worry about the moment," Powell said of the single-elimination tournament that decides a NCAA tournament berth. "It's just another game that we want to win. We'll try to be as prepared as we can and be sharp and ready to go."
GCU was picked to finish low because it has one upperclassmen in a 10-player rotation, half of which are new to Division I.
But with a defense that has held opponents to 38.4% shooting, the Lopes have emerged into a WAC title contender with senior power forward Da'jah Daniel ranking among the nation's top post players and freshman point guard Jada Holland bursting onto the scene with an All-WAC first-team season. The pair combines to rank first or second in the WAC in four categories.
"All we have to do is play with the right tempo, defend well and go score," said Daniel, who ranks 27th nationally for rebounds per game (10.3) and field goal percentage (54.8%). "And we can do it. Everybody has seen that we can. We all have to contribute. We're going to stay together and keep pushing for each other."
GCU opened the conference season with a 59-54 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Jan. 4, when it did not make a 3-pointer. It ended the season with a 49-41 loss at CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, when it committed 27 turnovers.
The Lopes believe neither of those things will repeat with the season on the line.
"I feel like we can win," Daniel said. "We have a very deep team. I think we can do some damage."
Since the Saturday loss to the Roadrunners, the practice discussion has been about getting better daily and the coaches saw it happening. GCU's defensive calling card was there Saturday, when it held CSU Bakersfield to 13% shooting in the first half.
"The effort was there but now we need attention to detail and focus," Powell said.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
PG
/ Women's BasketballGCU Women's Basketball MW Quarterfinal vs. Colorado State - Highlights
Monday, March 09
GCU Women's Basketball MW First Round vs. Utah State - Highlights
Monday, March 09
GCU Women's Basketball vs. San José State - Highlights
Sunday, March 01
GCU Women's Basketball at Air Force - Highlights
Friday, February 13