Big bookends beat Waves in OT

Saturday, December 17

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

8-4,0-0WAC

Pepperdine

5-5,0-0WCC

OT 1

Pepperdine

Grand Canyon

12/17/2022 5:40:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

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Lopes use 13-2 regulation run, 10-0 overtime start to win

By: Paul Coro

Grand Canyon lost a double-digit lead in the last seven minutes of the first half, went 11 1/2 minutes of play without making a field goal and trailed by nine points going into the final five minutes of regulation.

Unbothered by its low points, GCU was unflappable in crunch time to secure the most unusual of wins against Pepperdine on Saturday night.

The Lopes outscored the Waves 28-9 over the final 10 minutes of play, the first five minutes of which was to get the game to a five-minute overtime that they dominated for an 83-73 victory at GCU Arena.

Often guard-dominated, the Lopes (8-4) relished their starting frontcourt coming up as big as their statures. Junior Gabe McGlothan posted his GCU career scoring high in a 20-point, 13-rebound effort. Junior Yvan Ouedraogo went from no points and one rebound in the first half to 13 points and seven rebounds after halftime.

"Th

is is a good breakthrough game for Gabe," Drew said. "He made his free throws, (career-high) 12 for 14. Really happy for him. Same with Yvan. This is one of Yvan's better games of the year. He made his big free throws, which we needed every single one of them.

"If they can play at that level, man, it's really going to help our team the rest of the year."

The Lopes reached their season scoring high against a Division I opponent in unorthodox style, but their defense gave their offense a chance to close the game as strongly as it started it.

Pepperdine ranked sixth in the nation for 3-point shooting percentage at 41.9% but went 4 for 23, a GCU opponent season low of 17.4%, against the Lopes' chases, denials and closeouts.

Waves sophomore forward Maxwell Lewis, a projected NBA first-round draft pick, entered with a 19-point scoring average and 58% shooting but did not make a field goal in regulation (0 for 11) against mostly junior Josh Baker's and redshirt freshman Kobe Knox's defense.

"An area of high alert for us is trying to not give them 3s and try to make (Lewis') scores tough," Drew said.

GCU led 32-21 through the first 12 ½ minutes with some of its best-paced offense of the season and sophomore guard Ray Harrison delivering eight points and three assists in a 20-12 start.

But the Lopes went 0 for 9 with four turnovers to feed an 11-0 Waves finish to the first half, when Pepperdine took the lead in the final minute. GCU opened the second half as poorly with Pepperdine going on an 8-0 run as Drew shuffled five-man lineups to try to get traction.

"I feel like I started the game slow," Ouedraogo said. "The second half, I just didn't want to quit on my teammates. I wanted to leave it out on the floor. I always believe it is possible to come back so I did my best to help my team get a win."

Ouedraogo scored six of GCU's first 13 second-half points as his blocked shot preserved a streak of seven consecutive Waves possessions.

The Lopes became the aggressors, getting into the bonus situation with McGlothan. But Pepperdine (5-5) still led 64-55 until a Harrison-to-McGlothan alleyoop with 4:58 remaining started a 13-2 run.

Junior point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. hit GCU's biggest shot of the game, a go-ahead 3-pointer on one of Harrison's seven assists with 1:40 to go. But after Pepperdine free throws tied the game at 68-68 with 9.4 seconds remaining in overtime, Blacksher's driving attempt to win was blocked and GCU entered its first overtime game in Drew's three seasons as head coach.

"We talked a lot about commitment," Drew said. "It's our home court. We want to take pride on our home court and win it in front of our fans. Our guys were down when they came to the huddle because they thought we were going to win in regulation. Credit to them, we were able to get some stops, get some scores and then we made our free throws."

GCU scored entirely on drives and free throws in the overtime, when Pepperdine didn't score for the first three minutes with sophomore guard Chance McMillian and McGlothan causing turnovers. McMillian replaced Blacksher, who reaggravated his ankle injury.

Ouedraogo's dribble drive put GCU ahead 78-68 and capped a 23-4 run. The Lopes' 15-point overtime was a Division I-era best for an extra session. They made 9 of 12 free throws in overtime and hit a season-high 27 free throws on 75% shooting after taking two tight losses with critical late-game free throw misses.

"Just having resilience with this team," said McGlothan, who went from a 3-point game in Sunday's two-point loss to North Texas to a 20-point Saturday night. "Perseverance. We went through a little bit of a lapse in that first half and even the beginning of the second half, but being able to come back, rally, stick together, pull each other together, be united. That's what it means – coming together as a family."