Record-setting victory opens season

Monday, November 7

Phoenix, Ariz.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-0,0-0WAC

109

Arizona Christian

0-1

Arizona Christian

Grand Canyon

109

Photo by: Zach Campbell

11/7/2022 7:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU sets Division I-era records for points, steals in 56-point blowout

By: Nick Macdonald

The Grand Canyon women's basketball team opened the season with a scoring barrage of 3-pointers and lockdown defense to set a Division I-era school record for points and an all-time program record for steals in Tuesday night's 109-53 rout at GCU Arena.

The Lopes won their seventh consecutive opener and their third in a row under head coach Molly Miller, who entered Monday night's game ranked second among active Division I head coaches in winning percentage at .866, .19 behind UConn's Geno Auriemma.

GCU opened on a 19-7 scoring run, fueled by a pair of 3s from freshman guard Ellie Buzzelle. It closed the first quarter by outscoring Arizona Christian 12-5 in the final 4 1/2 minutes to lead 31-12. The Lopes shot 50% (12 of 24) from the field and 50% (4 of 8) in the first 10 minutes.

The Lopes followed with a 27-point second quarter while the defense held the Firestorm to 11 to lead by 35 at the halftime break. GCU hit eight first-half 3s while scoring 26 points off turnovers. Buzzelle had 12 points – all on 3s – while graduate forward Evan Zars had a near double-double with 11 points, seven points and two steals in the first half.

GCU didn't slow down in the third quarter, its highest-scoring quarter with 32 points to stretch the lead to 90-36.

The Lopes trailed the previous single-game scoring record in the Division I era by 16 (106 vs. Park on Jan. 3, 2021) entering the fourth quarter. It surpassed it by three, totaling 19 with senior forward Dominique Phillips converting a layup for the 107th and record-breaking point. GCU also broke the all-time single-game steals mark with 30, one better than the mark of 29 set on Dec. 1, 1990, against Southern California College.

Sophomore guard Aaliyah Collins led the Lopes in scoring with 14 points while adding six steals, four assists and three rebounds in her GCU debut. Zars earned the double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four steals while freshman guard Laila McLeod had 10 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

The Lopes are back in action at home Saturday, Nov. 12, vs. Grambling State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.