Intensity translates to largest WAC blowout

Saturday, January 23

St. George, Utah

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-3,4-0WAC

Dixie State

4-7,0-4WAC

Grand Canyon

Dixie St.

1/23/2021 11:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Drew Interview McGlothan Interview Photo Gallery

GCU takes 1st place in conference by routing Dixie State 81-46

By: Paul Coro

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State head coach Jon Judkins did not even need to be in Grand Canyon's postgame locker room Friday night or at the video session and shootaround Saturday morning to know what happened.

Judkins felt it when GCU went from a 77-74 escape triumph Friday night at Burns Arena to the Lopes' most lopsided WAC win ever on Saturday night. GCU steamrolled the Trailblazers 81-46 for a sixth consecutive victory that earned sole possession of first place in the conference.

"They just turned a switch on them," Judkins said of the Lopes coaching staff. "I guarantee their coach (Bryce Drew) got into them last night and this morning and said, 'Hey, how can these first-year guys outplay you and outhustle you and be more physical?' Cuz that's all they did tonight."

In a 24-hour span, GCU (10-3, 4-0 WAC) went from a team that needed to grind out a conference win for the third straight time to the squad with superior energy and toughness. The Lopes dominated all phases, starting with a more intense defense that shut out Dixie State (4-7, 0-4 WAC) for 5:25 of the first half to take an 18-7 lead that stayed in double digits for the final 29 minutes of play.

GCU led by 14 at halftime, by 24 three minutes into the second half and by 35 at game's end for a thorough momentum builder entering next weekend's home games against preseason WAC favorite New Mexico State.

"Guys really responded," Drew said. "The biggest thing we wanted is we just wanted a lot more overall effort and I thought we did it for 40 minutes tonight, which is great to see from a coach's standpoint because we had great stretches but we hadn't had 40 minutes where we played as hard as we did for these 40."

The Lopes matched their WAC mark for an opponent's lowest scoring total by holding the Trailblazers to 35.6% shooting with 18 turnovers. Lopsided rebounding made it count as GCU became the No. 1 team in the nation for rebound margin (plus-12.2 per game).

"It needs to be in our DNA," Drew said of rebounding. "It needs to be who we are. If we want to be successful, if we want to be in games and win games, we have to rebound the basketball."

Dixie State only grabbed two offensive rebounds until the final three minutes as GCU won the boards 42-26 with sophomore reserve power forward Gabe McGlothan gobbling up 12 rebounds in 19 minutes of action.

"They just came out and showed that they wanted it more," Dixie State junior point guard Cameron Gooden said.

In every corrective phase from Friday night, GCU improved Saturday night. The Lopes moved the ball and their feet better for higher-percentage shots and fewer turnovers. They applied more ball pressure on defense and asserted themselves physically more in the paint on both sides of court.

GCU senior center Asbjørn Midtgaard, the national field goal percentage leader (74.5%), has made 11 consecutive shots after going 6 for 6 from the field Saturday. He tallied a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds, setting a tone early in the game and scoring from different spots, including a jump shot, a three-point play on a post-up and a follow slam.

"Our guys came with a lot of intensity today," Drew said. "Yesterday, Dixie came out and hit us first and got us on our heels a little bit. I think our guys came out a lot more aggressive, a lot more together in the first half and a lot more assertive."

The Lopes broke the Trailblazers early with a 9-0 run that took an 18-7 lead midway through the first half. Freshman reserve point guard Chance McMillian was key at both ends during the stretch, causing two turnovers and hitting a 3-pointer. McMillian (11 points) and sophomore Jovan Blacksher Jr. (10 points) split time leading an offense that shot 49.1% from the field.

Senior power forward Alessandro Lever (13 points) gave GCU four players in double-figure scoring. He opened the second half with a 3-pointer and added a hook when GCU deflated Dixie State by scoring 14 points in the first 3:06 of the second half.

"This, to me, is the best team in our conference," Judkins said of the Lopes. "They have size. They have quickness. They shoot it. They're very, very good.

"They were men. It's like men above the boys."

Although happy to open WAC play unblemished in four road games, the Lopes needed this type of game and effort as they head into a mysterious home conference set against preseason pick New Mexico State. The Aggies have been limited by COVID-19 circumstances to three games and lost their only Division I matchup at CSU Northridge, 66-63, on Dec. 28.

"It's going to be difficult," Drew said. "On their side, it'll be difficult because they've only played one Division I game. On our side, it'll be difficult because, for two or three weeks, basically they've been preparing for us and we've been preparing for other teams. We'll see Friday night what it looks like."

The Lopes will play the Aggies at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights at GCU Arena. New Mexico State has won the teams' past eight meetings, including the past two WAC Tournament championship games and the past three meetings in Phoenix.

"That rivalry is something that we really take pride over," McGlothan said. "We don't want to lose to them. We definitely want to have a chip on our shoulder when we walk in there and let it be known that this is our place and this is what we're coming off of. We're ready for you and we're not holding back."