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W Basketball
TBA
at South Carolina
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wednesday, December 21
Irvine, Calif.
3 p.m.
Grand Canyon
8-3,0-0WAC
51
at
64
UC Irvine
8-3,0-0Big West
1
2
3
4
F
Grand Canyon
16
19
5
11
51
UC Irvine
12
14
22
16
64
Final nonconference game goes to UC Irvine
12/21/2022 6:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lopes shoots season-low 28.1%, lost 9-point halftime lead
IRVINE, Calif. – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team fell 64-51 to UC Irvine on Wednesday in its final nonconference contest of the season.
GCU dropped to 8-3 after its first back-to-back losses of the season.
Junior forward Olivia Lane led the Lopes with 12 points and added six rebounds and three steals. Classmate Tiarra Brown registered 10 points and seven boards while graduate forward Evan Zars had a team-best nine rebounds for a second straight game.
Neither team could find a consistent rhythm early, leaving the score tied at 5-5 with 3:49 remaining in the first quarter. Over the final three minutes of the quarter, GCU went 3 of 4 from the field with two made free throws to hold a 16-12 advantage.
The Lopes kept the consistency into the second quarter, making 3 of 4 shots again through the first 2 1/2 minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 23-13. Despite GCU recording six fouls to UC Irvine's two and Brown picking up her third personal midway through the second quarter, the Lopes kept the advantage and led 35-26 at the break.
GCU, which had outscored opponents 216-142 in the third quarter this season, scored a season-low five points in Wednesday's third quarter on 2-of-16 shooting and trailed 48-40 entering the fourth.
The Lopes cut the lead to 53-47 with 6 1/2 minutes to play but couldn't pull any closer, with UC Irvine making 9 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter.
GCU, which entered the contest ranked second nationally with 15.7 steals per game, tallied 15 and 26 forced turnovers at UC Irvine. GCU tallied a season scoring low with season-low shooting percentages from 3-point range (9.5%) and the field (28.1%).
The Lopes are back in action on Thursday, Dec. 29, for their WAC opener at Utah Valley. Start time is set for 2 p.m. (Phoenix time).
GCU dropped to 8-3 after its first back-to-back losses of the season.
Junior forward Olivia Lane led the Lopes with 12 points and added six rebounds and three steals. Classmate Tiarra Brown registered 10 points and seven boards while graduate forward Evan Zars had a team-best nine rebounds for a second straight game.
Neither team could find a consistent rhythm early, leaving the score tied at 5-5 with 3:49 remaining in the first quarter. Over the final three minutes of the quarter, GCU went 3 of 4 from the field with two made free throws to hold a 16-12 advantage.
The Lopes kept the consistency into the second quarter, making 3 of 4 shots again through the first 2 1/2 minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 23-13. Despite GCU recording six fouls to UC Irvine's two and Brown picking up her third personal midway through the second quarter, the Lopes kept the advantage and led 35-26 at the break.
GCU, which had outscored opponents 216-142 in the third quarter this season, scored a season-low five points in Wednesday's third quarter on 2-of-16 shooting and trailed 48-40 entering the fourth.
The Lopes cut the lead to 53-47 with 6 1/2 minutes to play but couldn't pull any closer, with UC Irvine making 9 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter.
GCU, which entered the contest ranked second nationally with 15.7 steals per game, tallied 15 and 26 forced turnovers at UC Irvine. GCU tallied a season scoring low with season-low shooting percentages from 3-point range (9.5%) and the field (28.1%).
The Lopes are back in action on Thursday, Dec. 29, for their WAC opener at Utah Valley. Start time is set for 2 p.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
GCU
Irvine
FG%
.281
.366
3FG%
.095
.308
FT%
.619
.833
RB
40
36
TO
22
26
STL
15
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballF
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