WAC race offers no let-up in Lopes' chase

Saturday, February 12

St. George, Utah

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Dixie State

2/11/2022 5:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

GCU takes 3-game win streak into Dixie State on Saturday

By: Paul Coro

Saturday, Feb. 12 \| 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| St. George, Utah \| Burns Arena

	DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS (11-13, 4-7 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (17-5, 8-3 WAC)

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ST. GEORGE, Utah – As Grand Canyon navigates Utah from Orem to St. George this week, the undulating terrain is a reminder of how hard a climb can be.

The Lopes needed Thursday night's win at Utah Valley just to keep pace in the WAC race. And after not getting help elsewhere in the conference standings, GCU is in the same position Saturday night at Dixie State.

Despite a three-game winning streak, the Lopes (17-5, 8-3 WAC) remain in fourth place but are on the cusp of hopping past Sam Houston (14-11, 9-3 WAC) and Seattle U (18-6, 9-2 WAC) for second place.

"This league is significantly better than it was last year," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "Every game is a battle. Thankfully, (the Utah Valley win) was an earlier game so we could get down to Dixie, sleep in and try to get our legs back for Saturday."

If the Lopes can win Saturday night at Dixie State and Wednesday night at California Baptist, their prospects for a standing climb become more promising with four of their final five games at home. Their ability to play catch-up also would be more in their control with games against New Mexico State (20-3, 10-1 WAC) and Sam Houston.

"We're playing together and playing defense," GCU graduate forward Sean Miller-Moore said. "Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into Dixie State."

Woods warms up

In the past four games, GCU graduate guard Holland Woods II is averaging nearly 20 points per game with the brunt of the work coming in second halves.

Woods is averaging 14.5 points per second half in the past four games, following a December stretch when he averaged 15.0 points per second half in consecutive wins against Loyola Marymount, UT San Antonio and Mississippi Valley State after scoring three points combined in those first halves.

For the season, Woods is shooting 35.9% from the field and 32.7% on 3s in first halves and 45.4% from the field and 41.5% on 3s in second halves.

"If I could figure out how to put it together for 40 minutes, I might have 60 points," Woods said after an 18-point second half in Thursday's win. "My coaches stay confident in me. They don't go away from me. They don't shy away from me. My point guard, 'Nuna' (Blacksher), and 'Rugz' (Miller-Moore) stay confident in me so I know I'll get it going."

Igiehon makes most of minutes

GCU sophomore center Aidan Igiehon was only on the floor for a minute and 45 seconds on Thursday night, but he showed enough that Drew went back to him for a critical second-half stretch.

Igiehon, at 6 feet 10 and 245 pounds, played four second-half minutes as one of Drew's best physical options to defend Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq. Igiehon deflected an entry pass to Aimaq, leading to the transition offense that netted a go-ahead Woods 3. One possession later, Igiehon posted up for a jump hook amid a 12-0 Lopes run.

Igiehon was plus-16 in six minutes. He teamed with sophomore Yvan Ouedraogo and junior Dima Zdor to keep Aimaq to his fifth-worst shooting game of the season (6 for 17) and his third-lowest free throw total (two).

"It's very important for me to continue to build trust with the coaching staff and just win," Igiehon said. "We had a game plan and a big part of it was to stop the big fella (Aimaq) in the post. He's a really good player so that was my main focus. We were able to do that and went on a run so it felt pretty good."

Lope tracks

Blacksher is the only player in the nation who is averaging at least 17.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals with at least 40% 3-point shooting.
GCU has made 80% of its free throws in three of the past four games after doing so once in the first 18 games.
The Lopes rank second nationally for 3-point percentage defense (26.4%) and land in the top 20 for five other categories: field goal percentage defense (15th, 38.5%), scoring defense (17th, 60.9 points per game), rebounds per game (12th, 40.7), rebound margin (19th, plus-7.0) and offensive rebounds per game (11th, 13.5).
This is Dixie State's final season before the university changes its name to Utah Tech.
The Trailblazers rank second in the WAC for assists per game (15.9)
Dixie State fifth-year senior Hunter Schofield, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, is averaging 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds with 48.5% shooting from the field.
Lopes power forward Gabe McGlothan and Trailblazers guard Cameron Gooden were prep school teammates at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut for 2017-18. Gooden, a 5-11 junior point guard, averages 12.7 points and 3.8 assists.