Strong first half guides GCU over North Dakota 73-61

Saturday, November 11

Grand Forks, N.D.

6 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

2-0,0-0WAC

North Dakota

0-2,0-0Summit League

Grand Canyon

North Dakota

11/11/2023 9:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Lopes made 8 three pointers, shot 48% in first half

By: Nick Macdonald

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – One game after its 22-0 run to defeat Saint Mary's in the final seconds, Grand Canyon never trailed in Saturday night's road contest against North Dakota, using a barrage of first-half 3-pointers to defeat the Fighting Hawks 73-61 in front 1,400 fans at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.

"I am really proud of a road win," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "Those are tough to come by and a good place to play. Great atmosphere and a great crowd for women's basketball. We knew they were a good team with a lot of pieces and a lot of talent. For us to come in here and get a good start was important. We never let off the gas, and it was nice to hit some shots tonight."

Three Lopes finished in double figures, with senior guard Tiarra Brown leading the squad with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Junior guard Trinity San Antonio once again flirted with a triple-double, recording 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while knocking down two 3s. Senior forward Olivia Lane, who played in Grand Forks for the first time since transferring from North Dakota in 2022, registered 11 points and eight rebounds.

"It was a weird feeling being back here after playing here for three years," Lane said. "I was a bit nervous coming into the game but as soon as we hit the court, my nerves went away. Tonight,we stuck to the game plan and played great defense and our offense followed suit."

GCU scored 20 points in the first quarter, when it jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. Junior guard Naudia Evans scored the first points of the game, fittingly picking up right where she left off with a game-opening 3 to follow up her buzzer-beating 3-pointer that beat Saint Mary's. A layup by Brown gave the Lopes a double-digit lead with three minutes left in the quarter, and GCU ended the first 10 minutes with an 11-point advantage.

A part of GCU's early scoring came behind the arc, as the team went 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter. The Lopes stayed firm on the gas in the second quarter, as they went 4 of 5 on 3s to go 8 of 11 from deep in the first 20 minutes of play. GCU's lead expanded to 32-15 before entering the locker room up 39-28 at half.

"This group is good from a cerebral perspective," Miller said. "Knowing scout, knowing what is open and knowing how to take advantage of the other team and how they play. I am really proud of our pace and tempo tonight."

The Lopes had their best quarter in the third with 25 points scored, shooting 63.4% from the floor and 81.8% (9 if 11) from the charity stripe in the third quarter. GCU led by as much 22 points in the third and kept a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

GCU shot 49% from the field for the game and 59% from 3-point range, making it the eighth game under Miller since 2020-21 that it has shot over 50% from deep.

The Lopes, who played in its earliest road game by calendar date (Nov. 11) in their Division I era, moved to 2-0 with the win. The victory sets up a meeting of two early undefeated teams on Thursday, when GCU hosts (RV) Oregon.