Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at #2 South Carolina on November 3, 2025 at 4 p.m. (MST)

W Basketball
4 p.m. (MST)
at #2 South Carolina
2/3/2022 10:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
GCU's 34 bench points helps earn road victory
SEATTLE — The Grand Canyon women's basketball bench delivered 34 points in a 64-59, bounce-back win at Seattle U on Thursday night.
"It was a hard-fought battle," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "This is a great experience for our kids. We had a few in double digits and a big spark from Tianna (Brown) off the bench."
The Lopes (14-6, 7-2 WAC) had four players score in double figures, led by senior guard Tianna Brown, who had 14 points off a career-tying four 3-pointers. She added five rebounds and two assists off the bench to help GCU remain in a second-place tie in the conference.
Graduate guard Amara Graham posted 14 points, five rebounds and four assists while junior forward Dominique Phillips added 13 points, four rebounds and two steals off the bench. The fourth Lopes double-digit scorer was graduate forward Jay McChristine, who tallied 10 points, six rebounds and three steals.
"It takes a village," Miller said. "Anyone in our village can step up at any given moment, so that's nice to not rely on a singular person or a duo. We really do have anyone in the game that can come in and be a spark off the bench or be a spark out there as a starting five. It doesn't really matter as long as you're ready and able when your name gets called to go in there and play hard. Today, Tianna really was a spark off the bench for us."
GCU's defense forced 19 Seattle U turnovers while committing 14. Those Lopes takeaways turned into 19 points, thanks in part to McChristine's team-high three steals.
After playing to a 12-12 tie, GCU went on a 6-0 run with 2:37 left in the first quarter after a bucket from senior forward Kennedi Shorts. The Redhawks answered with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to three, but two Graham free throws gave the Lopes a 20-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Lopes capitalized on seven Seattle U turnovers in the period, turning them into 12 points.
The second quarter was the lowest scoring quarter, but GCU maintained its lead and entered halftime with a 29-26 edge. The Lopes were strong from deep in the period, knocking down three 3-point shots to account for all of their points.
Graham scored all 14 of her points in the first half, including two 3s and a 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line.
GCU outscored Seattle U 21-12 in the third quarter, led by Phillips' 3-for-3 shooting to help the Lopes take a 50-38 lead heading into the fourth. Brown posted six points in the third on a pair of 3s.
The Redhawks rallied withing a point with 41 seconds to go remaining in the game. Brown hit a mid-range jumper to put the Lopes ahead by three at the 29-second mark, setting up GCU to hold on for the victory.
"Always proud of getting a win on the road," Miller said. "It's tough in the WAC, so to come in here and get one in Seattle is nice for us. I hope it's a confidence booster moving forward in February. I think February is a month where teams rise or fall. We need rise to the challenge."
Up next, GCU continues its West Coast trip to California Baptist for a 2021 WAC Tournament championship rematch on Saturday at 2 p.m. (Phoenix time). The Lopes and Lancers are tied for second place in the conference.
"We love competition," Miller said. "CBU is going to be a great team. When we face them, we just have to execute a game plan, turn around and don't make the game any bigger or smaller than it is — another game that we want to win. For us, it's focus and a quick turnaround. This will be our fourth game in a week so we just have to recover, maybe more mentally than physically, to make sure we execute a scout. Real excited to play CBU. What a great team and a good opportunity for us."