Finals week ends with test from Pepperdine

Saturday, Dec. 17 \| 6 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	PEPPERDINE WAVES (5-4)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (7-4)

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Grand Canyon is two weeks removed from victory. Or eight points away from a pair of additional wins.

Either way, going without a chance to win again since Sunday has proven to be just another difficult test during finals week for the Lopes.

The sting from Sunday's two-point loss to North Texas and the previous four-point loss to Loyola Marymount is a burning pain that can only be soothed by a chance to win, which GCU gets when it faces Pepperdine in a 6 p.m. Saturday home game.

"Especially with us having to wait a week to play, it's just been a long process," Lopes graduate forward Noah Baumann said. "We've had good practices, and I think we're going in the right direction again. There are things from the losses that we definitely can fix, so I'm definitely excited."

GCU (7-4) is going to have handle one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the nation and a projected NBA first-round draft pick to return to the win column.

Pepperdine (5-4) hits 41.9% of its 3-point shots (No. 6 in the nation) for an average of 10.6 made 3-pointers per game.

"It's one of the best offensive teams that we'll play all year," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "They have some really dynamic players."

In his second stint as Pepperdine head coach, Lorenzo Romar is implementing a talented rotation of freshmen and sophomores with 6-foot-7 swingman Maxwell Lewis catching the attention of NBA scouts. Lewis, a Las Vegas native who finished high school at AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, is a versatile scorer who averages 18.7 points per game while shooting 61% from the field, 50% on 3-pointers and 79% on free throws.

The Waves also have 6-2 sophomore guard Mike Mitchell Jr., a 54% 3-point shooter, and 6-5 sophomore guard Houston Mallette, a 43% 3-point shooter, in the starting lineup that also has not played since last weekend. With Lewis posing 24 points and eight rebounds, Pepperdine lost 67-64 in overtime last Saturday to UC Santa Barbara and is also on a two-game losing streak with an 85-77 loss to Nevada.

"It puts a lot more pressure on guarding one on one because you don't have as much help," Drew said of the multiple deep-shooting threats. "They shoot it so quick, and they have some size to them."

GCU counters the Pepperdine's 3-point barrage with a defense that has held opponents to 31.2% shooting on 3s only 6.1 made 3s per game, which is 4.5 below Pepperdine's average. Last season, the Lopes held the Waves to 5-for-24 shooting from 3-point range in a 59-56 road win.

"With 3-point shooters, you have to locate them early," said Baumann, who knows the 3 well with the No. 22 career 3-point percentage (41.8%) among the nation's active players. "You have to be able to be physical with them. If they do get a shot, make sure you contest it at all costs. You're trying to make their looks as hard as possible and keep them from getting any kind of rhythm at all."

The GCU player most benefiting from the week off has been junior point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr., who returned from missing two games with a right ankle sprain for Sunday's Jerry Colangelo Classic loss.

Blacksher was limited in movement and went 1 for 9 from the field, his career's lowest field goal percentage in a game with more than five attempts.

"It was good to be out there with the guys and to play basketball again," said Blacksher, who started every game in his first three GCU seasons. "Day by day, it's a process. We're getting better. (Athletic trainer) Chris (Elliott) is doing his job, and we're just trying to get it done. It's, of course, frustrating, but it's basketball."

GCU had made 73% of its free throws this season until the last two losses, in which the Lopes were 26 for 41 (63%) in close losses.

"If we're just good from the free throw line, we win both those games," Drew said. "So that's been a focal point this week to make free throws and get guys healthy. We want to get Jovan back more in a rhythm with our team."

Lope tracks

Last season, GCU won 59-56 at Pepperdine with Blacksher posing 13 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.
The GCU defense ranks 14th nationally for points allowed per game (58.6) and 16th for opponent field goal percentage (37.4%).
The Lopes rank third in the WAC Resume Seeding System, a formula factoring nonconference results for WAC Tournament seeding. Sam Houston and Seattle U have the top two spots.
GCU is 6-0 when scoring more than 65 points in a game.
Pepperdine ranks 20th nationally for blocked shots per game (5.6) with 6-foot-10 sophomores Boubacar Coulibaly (1.75) and Carson Basham (1.38) and Lewis (1.33) claiming 4.5 of that.

Saturday, Dec. 17 | 6 p.m. | GCU Arena | Phoenix, Ariz.

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Players Mentioned

Noah Baumann

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Grand Canyon University Athletics