Game plan execution puts win streak at 9

Friday, February 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

13-3,7-0WAC

California Baptist

10-8,4-5WAC

California Baptist

Grand Canyon

2/19/2021 11:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU cools hot-shooting CBU for 71-61 home victory

By: Paul Coro

It had been 20 days since Grand Canyon last played a game when it took the GCU Arena floor Friday night with California Baptist, but the Lopes did not forget how to play.

They have forgotten how to lose with 60 days since their last loss.

GCU won its ninth consecutive game, tying it for the sixth-longest winning streak in the nation, and kept command of the WAC race by stifling CBU's potent perimeter game for a 71-61 victory.

The Lancers ranked second nationally with 40.7% 3-point shooting, but went 6 for 19 (31.6%) on Friday night with the Lopes diligently working over the top of screens all game to deny CBU from clean shots.

GCU (13-3, 7-0 WAC) will see if it can repeat the feat Saturday night, when the Lopes and Lancers (10-8, 4-5 WAC) meet again at 7 p.m. in GCU Arena.

"It showed a lot of focus and resiliency from our perimeter players," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "We haven't really played a team like this since San Francisco that really spreads you and makes you defend everywhere on the court pretty much once you get past half-court. Our guys' focus was really good to get over and through screens and try to make them take tough shots."

CBU's physical play started each half better than GCU, which was rusty from the layoff in the first half until senior power forward Alessandro Lever pulled the Lopes out of it with 10 of their first 13 points.

The Lancers' strong second-half start gave them brief leads until the GCU post tag team overwhelmed them. CBU starts a quality big man in 6-foot-11 Gorjok Gok, but he was saddled with foul trouble and could only cover Lever or GCU senior center Asbjørn Midtgaard.

When the Lopes pulled away from a 48-48 tie at the second half's midpoint, it was a 16-5 run led by Midtgaard and Lever doing most of the damage around the rim. Midtgaard recorded his seventh double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots while Lever made 7 of 13 shots for 19 points, one off his season high, and a season-high 10 rebounds.

"We're two bigs who both can play inside," Lever said. "Gak is a really athletic big man. Since he was guarding Ash, I just took advantage of it and tried the whole game to get as many balls as I could inside the paint to shoot a hook or lay the ball in the hoop."

The Lopes did not shoot 3s (3 for 15) or free throws (18 for 29) well, but they had their best ball-care game against a Division I opponent this season. They only made eight turnovers with GCU sophomore point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. expending intense energy on defense but still having a line of nine points, seven rebounds, seven assists and one turnover.

Just as he did against Arizona State, Blacksher ended the first half with a momentum-shifting steal and layup, putting GCU ahead 34-30.

It was the Lopes defense that took command in the second half, when the only CBU made shot over a 7 ½-minute stretch was a banked 3-point shot.

"Our guys kept their heads up and they kept playing through some of their good plays and some of our mistakes," Drew said. "When you're off for 19 days and you don't have that competitive feeling, they had to have it inside themselves and pull it out quickly and thankfully they did."

GCU senior guard Mikey Dixon has thrived on WAC Friday nights. His 13-point game against the Lancers puts his scoring average at 13.8 for the opening games of conference sets this season.

Another Lopes senior, swingman Oscar Frayer, played more than 30 minutes for the first time this season and was key to GCU's defense while tallying eight points, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal in 33 minutes.

"Especially those last 10 minutes, he really took a lot of pride in his defense," Drew said of Frayer. "He gave up a couple backdoors early and he really locked in those last 10 minutes and was able to get his hand on some balls and just play with a lot of passion and energy. That's a great sign that he could play 33 minutes of hard defense."

It is a unique WAC race with GCU leading at 7-0 and UT Rio Grade Valley next, but limited to a 2-0 mark. Utah Valley, at 6-2, also lurks as GCU's season-finale set at home.

"We can't daydream," Lever said. "We just got to keep working harder and win these next five games to be in the best position for the WAC Tournament."