GCU plays regular-season finale at Dixie State

Saturday, March 5

St. George, Utah

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Dixie State

Photo by: Skyler Coblentz

3/5/2022 9:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Lopes face Trailblazers to conclude regular season

By: Sierra Smith

Saturday, March 5 \| 3 p.m. \| Burns Arena \| St. George, Utah

	DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS (10-18, 6-11 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (10-8, 13-4 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: View

The Grand Canyon women's basketball team plays Dixie State for its last regular season game of the regular season before the WAC Tournament next week.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

FIRST 20-WIN SEASON IN 8 YEARS: For the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Lopes have earned 20 wins. If GCU wins today, 21 wins will be the most for GCU in its Division I era.
LOOKING FOR THE SWEEP: The Lopes defeated Dixie State earlier in the season 66-50 at home.
FINISHING STRONG: After taking down Utah Valley on Thursday, GCU has secured the No. 2 seed in next week's WAC Tournament. The Lopes look to build on that game and complete the Utah trip sweep.

SCOUTING DIXIE STATE

The Trailblazers are led by Shanaijah Davison's 17.1 points per game, followed by Breaunna Gillen with 15.4 points and Emily Isaacson with 12.9 points per game.
Isaacson leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game.
In the last matchup between Dixie State and GcU, the Trailblazers had a season-high 17 made free throws.
Three Trailblazers scored double figures against the Lopes, led by Davison and Talia Sireni with 11 apiece and Gillen had 10 points.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU vs. Utah Valley

The Lopes clinched the No. 2 seed for the WAC Tournament with an exciting win over Utah Valley.
GCU graduate forward Jay McChrisitne scored the game-winner with 5.7 seconds left on the clock after grabbing a big offensive rebound and putting it back in to take a 65-63 lead.
Freshman point guard Ja'Mya Powell-Smith had a career high 18 point performance to help lead the Lopes to victory.
Joining Powell-Smith in double figures was sophomore guard Tiarra Brown with 15 points, graduate guard Amara Graham had 13 points and McChristine posted 10 points.
GCU outrebounded Utah Valley 36-32, led by McChristine's eight boards followed by Brown with seven, Graham with six and freshman point guard Kiyley Flowers with five.
The entire game went back-and-forth with 14 lead changes throughout.
The Lopes finished the first quarter ahead 15-13.
Heading into halftime, GCU held the two-point lead after both the Lopes and Wolverines scored 18 points in the second quarter.
GCU outscored Utah Valley 18-17 in the third quarter to hold onto a three-point lead.
In the final quarter, the Lopes led the entire way until the Wolverines tied the game at 61-61 with just under two minutes to go.
Powell-Smith hit a jumper to pull the Lopes back ahead 63-61, then a layup by Josie Williams at the 1:05 mark tied the game at 63 points.
Utah Valley had the possession arrow in its favor when a jump ball occurred with 42 seconds left, but GCU forced a huge turnover to get the ball back.
Powell-Smith dribbled the ball as the clock wound down and drove in for a layup. The ball did not go in but McChristine was there to grab the offensive rebound and put it back in to take the 65-63 lead.
The Lopes held on for the victory.