GCU takes down Arizona State in Tempe

Friday, December 8

Tempe, Ariz.

1 p.m.

Grand Canyon

7-2,2-0WAC

Arizona State

7-3,0-0Pac-12

Grand Canyon

Arizona St.

Photo by: Sebastian Molinar

12/8/2023 4:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Lopes log 1st victory against Pac-12 opponent in school history

By: Nick Macdonald

TEMPE, Ariz. – Exactly 373 days removed from its first meeting since the 1994-95 season, Grand Canyon led by as much as 14 points in the final quarter Friday at Arizona State after an efficient third quarter set up the program's first win against the crosstown Sun Devils.

Like last season, GCU held a double-digit lead after the third quarter. But fueled by the feeling of losing that lead last year, the Lopes (7-2) shined on the offensive end to close out Arizona State for a 66-59 victory at Desert Financial Arena.

The victory over the Sun Devils (7-3) was GCU's first against a Pac-12 opponent in program history.

"After last year's game, we had the confidence that we were right there with a great program and a good team," Lopes head coach Molly Miller said. "This year, we knew going into the game we could hang, and I think we proved that last year. This team won that in the preparation they put into this one, and I thought we did a really good job prepping for this game."

GCU senior forward Olivia Lane, who came off the bench for the first time this season, recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds while going 12 of 14 from the free throw line. Lane had eight points and seven rebounds at halftime to help pace the Lopes in a back-and-forth, first-half battle to a 29-29 tie.

Three other Lopes scored in double figures, with junior guard Naudia Evans (15 points), senior forward Tiarra Brown (12) and junior guard Trinity San Antonio (10) all providing sparks throughout the game. Brown added seven rebounds to aid in GCU's 32-26 rebound advantage over the Sun Devils, while San Antonio had four assists, three rebounds and three steals.

GCU extended its win streak to five games. It was the fifth time this season the Lopes have held a team under 60 points, as the Lopes have held teams to 46.6 points per game during their five-game winning streak.

GCU's offense got out to a hot start, leading 11-5 through the game's first four minutes. Arizona State (7-3) fueled a run of its own to quickly take the lead away three minutes later. Both offenses barely could miss, with the Lopes shooting 64% from the field compared to ASU's 54% until the Lopes led 19-17 after one.

The back-and-forth affair saw six ties in the second quarter, as neither team was giving the other chances at consecutive buckets on the way to a 29-29 halftime tie.

Throughout the season, the 3-point shot has been the catalyst for big runs for the Lopes, especially in the second half. While GCU was struggling to connect from deep, it found another outlet to progress – the free throw line. GCU went 6 of 6 from the line to keep on pace with the Sun Devils, and an eventual 3-pointer by senior guard Anna Ostlie put the Lopes up 42-34 with just under four minutes to play in the quarter.

After taking a 46-36 lead into the fourth quarter, GCU extended its advantage to as many as 14 points twice. ASU clawed its way back, scoring off turnovers to eventually cut the Lopes lead to 63-59 with 41 seconds to spare.

But like she has done all season, Evans made not one, but two crucial 3-pointers, including a top-of-the-arc banked 3 to quickly put GCU back ahead by 10 points. The Lopes' free throw shooting again shined down the stretch, making 3 of 4 in the final 26 seconds to come out with the 66-59 victory.

"I am really happy for our team," Miller said. "Our kids worked so hard to play at a high level, and we're doing that right now. Beating a team like Arizona State from the Pac-12 and having that notch in our belt is a feather in the cap for our kids. It goes to show how much the administration and the school support athletics and helped us get here."

GCU shot 83% (10 of 12) from the line in the final quarter of play and shot 90% for the game. It was the sixth straight game of shooting 40% or higher from the field and third straight shooting 45% or better (45.8%).

The defense forced 16 turnovers and turned them into 15 points, accruing eight steals.

The Lopes stay on the road for its final two nonconference games of the season. The first test is Dec. 17 at Idaho before traveling to Lynchburg, Virginia, to take on Liberty on Dec. 20.