Unbeaten CBU downs GCU for WAC trophy

Saturday, March 13

Las Vegas, Nev.

2 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. MT

Grand Canyon

18-7,8-4WAC

California Baptist

24-0,14-0WAC

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

3/13/2021 7:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

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Lancers move to 24-0 with 17-for-40 shooting on 3-pointers

By: Paul Coro

LAS VEGAS – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team held California Baptist's two All-WAC first-team players to three made field goals combined and forced the Lancers to commit 18 turnovers in Saturday's WAC Tournament championship game.

It sounds like the makings of a champion, but the Lopes could only listen to "We Are the Champions" blasting from CBU's on-court crowning on Saturday at Orleans Arena. The Lancers remained the nation's only undefeated team with a 76-60 victory because they set a tournament record by making 17 3-pointers.

"It's hard walking into that locker room and seeing the tears and the long faces, but I did say probably the first week on the job that I hope this is a team that cries when they win and cries when they lose," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "Kind of a metaphor for how much this game means to us. That hurt a lot."

CBU (24-0) shot 32.9% from 3-point range for the season but hit 42.5% on Saturday, when they only made seven 2-point shots.

The Lopes (18-7) opened with a turnover and a 3-pointer by freshman guard Tiarra Brown as an indicator that the game could follow the season's success with pressure defense creating offense. GCU led 11-7 when junior point guard Laura Piera called for a screen from freshman center Katie Scott late in the shot clock and nailed a jump shot.

GCU lingered from there, trailing 21-16 after the first quarter and using four Piera free throws to cut CBU's lead to 43-32 at halftime.

"We definitely had the fight," Lopes junior guard Tianna Brown said. "We definitely weren't just going to give up. We definitely thought we were in this, even when we were down 10, 11 points."

But when WAC Tournament MVP Caitlin Harper hit a pair of early third-quarter 3s for a 52-34 lead, the Lopes never threatened a comeback again.

The Lopes kept WAC Player of the Year Ane Oleata to 2-of-9 shooting with five turnovers for five points and fellow All-WAC first-teamer Brittney Thomas to 1-of-5 shooting, although she grabbed 12 rebounds in 22 minutes. But whether it be in transition or moving the ball against GCU's scrambling half-court defense, Harper and five other Lancers made multiple 3s.

CBU matched its season high of 17 made 3s and set a season high for 3-point attempts (40).

"I totally thought we had a plan for them," Miller said of Oleata and Thomas. "It was their role players that hit those 3s that hurt us. You're trying to pick your poison a little bit. Oleata and Thomas had proven themselves so we had a good focus and a good game plan against them. The other role players around them are solid, but they obviously hit shots and had a great night. We even got them in foul trouble early and that's exactly how we would love for it to play out, but we've got to contest a little better."

Meanwhile, the Lopes shot a season-worst 30.6% from the field with only Scott reaching double-figure points. Scott posted another monster fourth quarter with 17 points of her 21 points, but it was too late for GCU this time. With 10 rebouds, Scott posted her third double-double of the season to finish her WAC Freshman of the Year season with 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game on 54.8% shooting.

Despite Scott's effort, CBU won the boards 49-33 with 18 offensive rebounds, the second-highest total that GCU surrendered this season.

After the program's first championship game visit, Tiarra Brown was named to the All-WAC Tournament Team for averaging 13.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in the Lopes' 2-1 stay.

"I think we've definitely established ourselves now," Tiarra Brown said. "Being picked to finish sixth and coming in second, they see who we are now and will be looking out for us next year."

Unfortunately for the Lopes, their WAC Tournament runner-up finish does not mean they are second when it comes to the NCAA tournament situation. CBU, in the third year of a four-year Division I transition, is not eligible for the NCAA tournament so the WAC's automatic qualifier will be Utah Valley.

The Wolverines finished second at 10-4 because of two more wins than GCU at 8-4. The Lopes were unable to play two games at Chicago State (0-14) on Jan. 15-16 because of COVID-19 protocols.

Had GCU won those games and tied Utah Valley in the standings, the Lopes would have won the tiebreaker with a NCAA NET ranking that was 61 points higher than the Wolverines entering Saturday. The head-to-head series does not include the WAC Tournament, where GCU beat Utah Valley for a 2-1 edge this season.

"Disappointed a little bit that everyone's had to face the COVID issues. We really tried to get those Chicago State games in. We really, on our end, tried hard. If we did, we could still potentially be dancing and that's a little tough pill to swallow."