Lopes show fight in tough road loss

Saturday, February 20

Riverside, CA

3 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

14-6,6-4WAC

California Baptist

20-0,12-0WAC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Grand Canyon	16	14	19	15	64
California Baptist	11	21	23	24	79

Photo by: CBU Athletics

2/20/2021 7:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

GCU falls to undefeated Lancers 79-64

By: Sierra Smith

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The Grand Canyon women's basketball team started the game strongly but eventually fell to California Baptist 79-64 in the second of a two-game weekend series on Saturday.

Just like Friday, the Lopes started the game ahead and finished the first quarter on top 16-11.

"We kind of just lost the momentum and never really felt like we regained it," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "We made a couple runs here and there, but they always had an answer."

GCU is known for its lockdown defense and has been the national leader in forcing turnovers nearly all season, but the Lopes only managed to force 12 turnovers and turned over the ball 19 times, seven of which came in the first quarter.

"That's uncharacteristic of us to turn the ball over so many times in that span," Miller said. "This was the first time this year that we had more turnovers than the opponent. That was probably the biggest influencer in the result of this game."

The Lancers scored 21 points in the second quarter to pull ahead by three points at halftime.

Freshman Tiarra Brown led the Lopes with a 16-point, 10-rebound effort and added three assists.

Two other Lopes joined Brown in double-digit scoring, including junior Laura Piera with 13 points and freshman Katie Scott with 12 points. Scott also added seven rebounds and Piera dished out five assists.

"It's a tough emotional rollercoaster when you play that hard and have to turnaround and respond," Miller said. "I applaud them for the ability to turnaround in such a short time and have the same energy. The turnaround time is tough when you lose in overtime, but I think we came out really really well. We just didn't maintain that energy from the tip to the last buzzer."

At the 7:46 mark in the third quarter, Scott came up big with a driving layup to tie the game at 37-37.

Just. Unreal. @eitakscott 🔥

Scott ties it up and now leads the Lopes with 10 points!#LopesUp pic.twitter.com/Ozi16cQWGD
— GCU Women's Basketball (@GCU_WBB) February 20, 2021

CBU's Ane Oleata scored 11 of her 26 points in the third quarter to help the Lancers take a six-point advantage at the end of the period and took that momentum into the final quarter.

The Lopes fought back and came within two points of the Lancers with 6:22 to go, but an 8-0 Lancer run sealed the deal.

"That's the learning process as we go on," Miller said. "We just have to figure out how to maintain that energy and effort through four quarters."

California Baptist (20-0, 12-0 WAC) clinched the WAC regular-season title but the WAC Tournament title is what is on the Lopes' minds.

"That's something that is viable for us, that's something we're going to continue to work for," Miller said. "In the locker room we said, 'We have three weeks to get better', so everyone needs to commit to that cause and I think they do understand to use these three weeks and get better and try to compete for a conference tournament championship."

GCU returns home for its final conference series against Seattle U on Friday and Saturday, when seniors Ny'Dajah Jackson and Chloe Akin-Otiko will be honored before heading to Las Vegas for the WAC Tournament.