Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at South Carolina on November 3, 2025 at TBA
W Basketball
TBA
at South Carolina
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Monday, November 20
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
2-2,0-0WAC
71
vs
76
Montana
1-2,0-0Big Sky
1
2
3
4
F
Montana
19
19
20
18
76
Grand Canyon
19
19
16
17
71
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Montana keeps GCU out of reach
11/20/2023 9:15:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes suffer 1st consecutive home losses since early 2022
If Grand Canyon is playing at GCU Arena with an 18-point difference in scoring off turnovers, the Lopes are almost always walking home happy.
But GCU was outscored 21-9 at the free throw line for the second consecutive game, leaving the Lopes to play from behind for the entire fourth quarter of a 76-71 loss to Montana on Monday night at GCU Arena.
GCU's recent seasons of success have been branded with defense, but they did not stop the Grizzlies enough to make the Lopes' 50% shooting from the field stand up. GCU (2-2) had not lost a regular-season game in which it shot at least 50% since December 2020 against Southern Utah.
"That's a good challenge for us this early in the season," Lopes head coach Molly Miller said. "When you allow a team to score 76 points on your home court, it's going to make it tough for you. We've got repeat offenses in our two losses, and that's sending teams to the free throw line. So we've got to play a lot cleaner."
Montana com
mitted 17 turnovers, but GCU only scored eight points off them while the Lady Griz capitalized on the Lopes' 15 turnovers for 26 points. GCU followed four of Montana's turnovers by turning it back over to the Lady Griz.
"We want to play fast, but we have to play under control," Miller said. "We can't turn them over and just give it back. That effort was wasted."
Despite the uncharacteristic shortcomings, the game was playing out much the same as the Lopes' win at Montana last season. The first three quarters were tightly contested again, with this third quarter staying within one possession until a GCU foul with 28 seconds remaining sent the Lady Griz to the fourth quarter with a 58-54 lead.
The Lopes take pride in wearing opponents down for fourth quarters, but they fell behind by as much as 10 with four minutes remaining Monday. Montana aptly worked all levels of the court and got to the line after losing its first two games to Gonzaga and Washington State.
GCU shut out Montana (1-2) for the next three minutes but only cut the lead to 71-65 after missing two free throws, losing possession on a jump ball and missing a post-up. Those plays allowed the Lady Griz to get a cushion for the final seconds with a possession that included two offensive rebounds.
Lopes senior guard Naudia Evans made the outcome interesting with two late 3-pointers that cut the deficit to three with 10.2 seconds remaining, but Montana's Gina Marxen made two free throws to ice the win. GCU lost consecutive home games for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
"We've got to do better to prepare for the game," Evans said. "This is Thanksgiving week, and we don't have classes any more, so I think we walked into this game relaxed. We were so hyped for Oregon, and I don't think we took Montana as seriously as we needed to."
Evans scored 16 points to share the team scoring lead with senior power forward Olivia Lane, who went 7 for 9 from the field and had six rebounds in 22 minutes, and junior guard Trinity San Antonio, who added five assists and two steals.
"I was really proud of Liv (Lane), Shay (Fano) and Laura (Erikstrup) for their post presence, especially early, to see it carry over from practices," Miller said of the trio that went 12 for 17 from the field.
Montana put five scorers in double figures with its bench tallying 25 points.
The game was tied after each of the first two quarters, and an Evans 3-pointer tied it again early in the third quarter before senior guard Tiarra Brown picked up her third foul and did not play for the period's final 7:44.
"Even if she's not doing stuff on the staff sheet, having Tiarra out there changes how everybody plays defensively," Evans said.
Montana did not make a field goal for the final four minutes of the game but went 8 of 12 on free throws in the fourth quarter. The Lady Griz was 21 for 27 (78%) on free throws after Oregon went 21 for 29 on free throws in GCU's home loss to the Ducks on Thursday.
"That's what we have to learn from," Evans said. "We can't keep losing the same way."
The Lopes stay home for the GCU Classic, which pits them against Fresno State on Friday and Nicholls on Saturday in 2:30 p.m. tipoffs at GCU Arena.
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But GCU was outscored 21-9 at the free throw line for the second consecutive game, leaving the Lopes to play from behind for the entire fourth quarter of a 76-71 loss to Montana on Monday night at GCU Arena.
GCU's recent seasons of success have been branded with defense, but they did not stop the Grizzlies enough to make the Lopes' 50% shooting from the field stand up. GCU (2-2) had not lost a regular-season game in which it shot at least 50% since December 2020 against Southern Utah.
"That's a good challenge for us this early in the season," Lopes head coach Molly Miller said. "When you allow a team to score 76 points on your home court, it's going to make it tough for you. We've got repeat offenses in our two losses, and that's sending teams to the free throw line. So we've got to play a lot cleaner."
Montana com
mitted 17 turnovers, but GCU only scored eight points off them while the Lady Griz capitalized on the Lopes' 15 turnovers for 26 points. GCU followed four of Montana's turnovers by turning it back over to the Lady Griz."We want to play fast, but we have to play under control," Miller said. "We can't turn them over and just give it back. That effort was wasted."
Despite the uncharacteristic shortcomings, the game was playing out much the same as the Lopes' win at Montana last season. The first three quarters were tightly contested again, with this third quarter staying within one possession until a GCU foul with 28 seconds remaining sent the Lady Griz to the fourth quarter with a 58-54 lead.
The Lopes take pride in wearing opponents down for fourth quarters, but they fell behind by as much as 10 with four minutes remaining Monday. Montana aptly worked all levels of the court and got to the line after losing its first two games to Gonzaga and Washington State.
GCU shut out Montana (1-2) for the next three minutes but only cut the lead to 71-65 after missing two free throws, losing possession on a jump ball and missing a post-up. Those plays allowed the Lady Griz to get a cushion for the final seconds with a possession that included two offensive rebounds.
Lopes senior guard Naudia Evans made the outcome interesting with two late 3-pointers that cut the deficit to three with 10.2 seconds remaining, but Montana's Gina Marxen made two free throws to ice the win. GCU lost consecutive home games for the first time since the 2021-22 season."We've got to do better to prepare for the game," Evans said. "This is Thanksgiving week, and we don't have classes any more, so I think we walked into this game relaxed. We were so hyped for Oregon, and I don't think we took Montana as seriously as we needed to."
Evans scored 16 points to share the team scoring lead with senior power forward Olivia Lane, who went 7 for 9 from the field and had six rebounds in 22 minutes, and junior guard Trinity San Antonio, who added five assists and two steals.
"I was really proud of Liv (Lane), Shay (Fano) and Laura (Erikstrup) for their post presence, especially early, to see it carry over from practices," Miller said of the trio that went 12 for 17 from the field.
Montana put five scorers in double figures with its bench tallying 25 points.
The game was tied after each of the first two quarters, and an Evans 3-pointer tied it again early in the third quarter before senior guard Tiarra Brown picked up her third foul and did not play for the period's final 7:44.
"Even if she's not doing stuff on the staff sheet, having Tiarra out there changes how everybody plays defensively," Evans said.
Montana did not make a field goal for the final four minutes of the game but went 8 of 12 on free throws in the fourth quarter. The Lady Griz was 21 for 27 (78%) on free throws after Oregon went 21 for 29 on free throws in GCU's home loss to the Ducks on Thursday.
"That's what we have to learn from," Evans said. "We can't keep losing the same way."
The Lopes stay home for the GCU Classic, which pits them against Fresno State on Friday and Nicholls on Saturday in 2:30 p.m. tipoffs at GCU Arena.
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Team Stats
Mont
GCU
FG%
.434
.500
3FG%
.346
.353
FT%
.778
.750
RB
33
28
TO
17
15
STL
7
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
16
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
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