OT grinder delivers loss in WAC opener

Friday, January 15

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

OT 1

New Mexico St.

Grand Canyon

1/15/2021 6:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

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GCU holds NMSU to 38.3% shooting in defeat

By: Paul Coro

After an overtime loss, the easiest thing is to lament a regulation buzzer miss on a beautifully designed play.

With Grand Canyon's Taylor Caldwell inbounding with four-tenths of a second and a tie game, she lobbed a pass to the opposite side of the lane once GCU freshman Tiarra Brown beat her defender by cutting up and reversing. Lopes head coach Molly Miller leaned back as Brown leaned back for the catch and a quick release that missed as she fell to the floor.

But the Lopes did not take a 61-53 overtime loss to New Mexico State on that play Friday at GCU Arena. The WAC opener loss came because their most athletic opponent to date grabbed 23 offensive rebounds (nine more than the Lopes usually allow) and GCU missed 12 of 23 free throws, including seven fourth-quarter ones in row.

It was a brilliant defensive effort that wound up being unrewarded when GCU missed its final six shots of the game. New Mexico State (3-5) was held 19 points below its season scoring average in regulation, committed 25 turnovers in the game and shot 38.3% from the field but won because it kept the Lopes to much of the same – 38.8% shooting and a season-worst 26 turnovers.

GCU (8-2) gets to run it back with NMSU on Saturday night, when they meet at GCU Arena at 7 for another Aggies "home game" at its new setting because of COVID-19 regulations in its home state.

"We want a redo and here we are, getting to play back-to-back," said Lopes head coach Molly Miller, whose team is two end-of-regulation missed shots from being undefeated. "I don't know if there are tons of adjustments that need to be made. There will be some a little bit offensively. Our flow wasn't very good."

Caldwell, a sophomore guard, led GCU with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting while junior point guard Laura Piera logged 43 minutes for 11 points, five steals and four assists. Piera scored GCU's final five points in regulation after the Lopes had gone six minutes without a made field goal.

During that same stretch, the Aggies missed eight consecutive shots but picked up five consecutive offensive rebounds to play keepaway from the Lopes.

"We played good defense and you want to see great defensive effort, but then in order to put the exclamation point on a great defensive effort, you have to block out and get the defensive rebound," Miller said. "We can say it until we're blue in the face and we can practice it, but that's just a want thing at that point."

The Lopes opened overtime with Brown winning the tip and Caldwell scoring on a shot clock-beating drive to lead 51-49, but the Aggies put on an 8-0 run as GCU missed four 3-point shots in a row.

"In overtime, we looked a little sluggish," Miller said. "We have to think, 'OK, that ball didn't drop for us, but here we go. Here's overtime,' instead of 'Oh, shoot, we should've had it.' It's changing that mindset when you're trying to improve. This is a youthful team. We haven't been in a lot of those situations."