GCU travels to UT Arlington in 1st conference road test

Saturday, December 2

Arlington, Texas

1 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

UT Arlington

12/1/2023 9:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Lopes look to extend winning streak to 4 games on Saturday

By: Nick Macdonald

Saturday, Dec. 2 \| 1 p.m. MST \| College Park Center \| Arlington, Texas

	UT ARLINGTON MAVERICKS 1-6, 0-1 WAC	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES 5-2, 1-0 WAC

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK \| GAME NOTES: LINK

GCU heads on the road for the second time this season after a five-game homestand. Saturday's contest is the Lopes' first conference matchup on the road.
The Lopes look to start WAC play 2-0 before resuming its nonconference schedule. GCU's next WAC game is Jan. 4 at home vs. Southern Utah.
GCU's defense has held opponents to 50 points or fewer in each of its last three games. When facing a WAC opponent twice last season, only UT Arlington and Stephen F. Austin scored 70-plus points against the Lopes in those contests.

Under head coach Molly Miller, GCU's defense has been known for constant pressure with a high turnover rate. In the past three games, GCU has held its opponents to 126 points (42 per game), forced 50 turnovers (16.6 per game) and has tallied 29 steals (9.7 per game).
The Lopes have troubled offenses early in the past three games, allowing only six points per first quarter. GCU's offense has averaged scoring 15.3 points in the first quarter of such games.
Against Fresno State, which came into the GCU Classic averaging 76 points per game, the Lopes held the Bulldogs to 36 points, the second-lowest point total for a Division I opponent since 2013-14.

Junior guard Trinity San Antonio has showcased her offensive abilities early this season, including her ability to find open players. San Antonio is 30th in the country (first in WAC) in assists per game (5.4) and leads the WAC in total assists with 38. She has had five games with five or more assists as GCU has gone 4-1 in those contests.
GCU has been lights out from three this season, owning a 37.9 3-point percentage (27th in the nation, first in WAC) and has made seven or more 3s in five contests. It has shot over 40% from deep three times, with only one game under 30% this season.
Graduate forward Shay Fano is 11 points away from 1,000 for her career. Fano is averaging 6.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this season. She is coming off a season-high 13 points with three made 3-pointers vs. UT Rio Grande Valley.
Head coach Molly Miller ranks fourth among active coaches in winning percentage (.842) with at least eight seasons of coaching. She trails only Kim Caldwell (Marshall), Geno Auriemma (UConn) and Kim Mulkey (LSU).
The Lopes are 41-10 at GCU Arena since Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU has won at least 12 games at home in each of her three seasons in Phoenix, including a season-high 13 last year. The Lopes have 17 games at home this season, including six of the first seven regular-season contests.

UT Arlington is set for its second WAC game of the season and enters Saturday 1-6 overall and 0-2 at home.
It last played a home game Nov. 18 vs. UTSA, with a home matchup vs. Lamar on Nov. 10 prior to that contest.
The Mavericks get to the line frequently, averaging 20.7 free throws per game (third in WAC). It also has shot 32% from 3-point range, fourth best in the WAC.
Avery Brittingham leads UTA in scoring with 12.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures in each game this season, with a season-high 16 vs. South Florida in the season opener. She is one of two players in the WAC with three double-doubles this season.
Brittingham's 57 rebounds rank second in the conference and her 8.1 boards per game are fourth.
Adela Valkova averages 1 block per contest, ranking fifth in the WAC.
Three Mavericks are averaging more than 12 points per game in Brittingham, Taliyah Clark and Gia Adams.

The Lopes split the series last season in the first and second meetings between the schools.
GCU fell 93-77 at home on Feb. 25, 2023.
UT Arlington scored 28 first-quarter points and scored 20-plus in each quarter. GCU scored 20 or more points in the second, third and fourth quarters.
GCU's Tiarra Brown led the Lopes with 19 points, adding three rebounds and five steals. Naudia Evans had 14 points with three 3-pointers, four assists and three steals, while Lopes teammate Olivia Lane had 10 points and 4 rebounds.

The Lopes take nearly a week off before a contest at Arizona State on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. in Tempe.
It is a rematch of last year's thrilling contest at GCU Arena, where the Lopes fell 80-72 but packed the arena with over 6,000 fans, a women's basketball record for the arena.