Grand Canyon University Athletics
Basketball teams receive send-off bash
3/7/2021 8:14:00 PM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Havocs throw 1 last party to count down to WAC Tournament
In a Grand Canyon basketball season that could not start with Midnight Madness or end with caravans of Havocs heading to Las Vegas for the WAC Basketball Tournaments, Lope Nation was not going to let its teams leave without a proper amount of revelry.
A limited of amount of students was permitted to spread across GCU Arena for Countdown to the WAC on Sunday night, when the Purple Pregame Party, coaches' interviews, players' introductions, highlight videos, a Thunder trampoline dunk and band, cheer and dance performances entertained students in the arena and those watching on a simulcast played in campus residence halls.
The GCU men's basketball team enters the WAC Tournament as a No. 1 seed and will play in a Friday semifinal at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) with hopes of winning to advance to the championship game that decides the conference's NCAA tournament representative. The Lopes women will be a No. 3 seed and open with a first-round game Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Phoenix time) against UT Rio Grande Valley with a three-win trek necessary for the tourney title.
"It's the best time of year in March," GCU women's basketball head coach Molly Miller told the students-only crowd. "We've got the best support surrounding us. We're excited.
"What other school in the nation is doing this?! Right here! Holy cow! This is awesome."
Each team sat together in a section behind the north basket as the arena filled with bass, confetti, streamers and the changing light colors off bracelets worn by the Havocs.
Miller and her players did the Purple Pregame Party dance along with the Havocs, carrying signs that touted them as their "Sixth Man of the Year." On the men's side, senior Oscar Frayer wore his piece of the WAC co-championship net in his hat and senior Asbjørn Midtgaard flexed when it came time to show the muscle that powered GCU to the top tournament seed.
This was the second straight night for festivities in the arena. On Saturday night, the Lopes men won their regular-season finale against co-champ Utah Valley to clinch a share of the WAC regular-season title, the GCU program's first basketball conference championship since joining Division I eight years ago.
"I just felt electricity throughout this whole building, starting with the Havocs, the band, all the GCU fans and the support we have here," GCU men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew said. "I think our players felt that electricity and we played one of our best games of the season last night. These guys earned it."
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A limited of amount of students was permitted to spread across GCU Arena for Countdown to the WAC on Sunday night, when the Purple Pregame Party, coaches' interviews, players' introductions, highlight videos, a Thunder trampoline dunk and band, cheer and dance performances entertained students in the arena and those watching on a simulcast played in campus residence halls.
The GCU men's basketball team enters the WAC Tournament as a No. 1 seed and will play in a Friday semifinal at 6 p.m. (Phoenix time) with hopes of winning to advance to the championship game that decides the conference's NCAA tournament representative. The Lopes women will be a No. 3 seed and open with a first-round game Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Phoenix time) against UT Rio Grande Valley with a three-win trek necessary for the tourney title.
"It's the best time of year in March," GCU women's basketball head coach Molly Miller told the students-only crowd. "We've got the best support surrounding us. We're excited.
"What other school in the nation is doing this?! Right here! Holy cow! This is awesome."
Each team sat together in a section behind the north basket as the arena filled with bass, confetti, streamers and the changing light colors off bracelets worn by the Havocs.
Miller and her players did the Purple Pregame Party dance along with the Havocs, carrying signs that touted them as their "Sixth Man of the Year." On the men's side, senior Oscar Frayer wore his piece of the WAC co-championship net in his hat and senior Asbjørn Midtgaard flexed when it came time to show the muscle that powered GCU to the top tournament seed.
This was the second straight night for festivities in the arena. On Saturday night, the Lopes men won their regular-season finale against co-champ Utah Valley to clinch a share of the WAC regular-season title, the GCU program's first basketball conference championship since joining Division I eight years ago.
"I just felt electricity throughout this whole building, starting with the Havocs, the band, all the GCU fans and the support we have here," GCU men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew said. "I think our players felt that electricity and we played one of our best games of the season last night. These guys earned it."
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