Redhawks fly by Lopes to steal win

Saturday, February 11

Seattle, Wash. / Redhawk Center

8 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

16-9,7-5WAC

Seattle U

18-8,9-4WAC

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

2/11/2023 10:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU led 56-47 at Seattle before 1-for-13 shooting finish

By: Paul Coro

SEATTLE – Grand Canyon packed regret with its luggage on the way out of Seattle U on Saturday night, when a nine-point lead and a chance to move up two spots in the WAC standings slipped away in the final seven minutes.

The Redhawks moved to 11-1 at home by erasing the Lopes' lead with a 16-2 close to a 63-58 conference victory that wasted GCU re-establishing its defensive ways.

Seattle U's aggressive trapping and scoring overwhelmed GCU for an 11-0 lead in the first three minutes, but the Lopes (16-9, 7-5 WAC) held the Redhawks to 36.4% shooting from the field for their worst shooting at home this season.

"I was proud of their fight, take out that first segment and the end, I thought our fight was really good," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "We put ourselves in a position to win. We had a ball-screen coverage that we've practice for three days that was disappointed how we executed it at the end. Just missed shots. When your two best players go 9 for 34 on the road, it's going to be hard to win a lot of games. We just need to be able to make some more of those shots."

Seattle, WA Feb. 11, 2023:: GCU can't match Seattle University in their 63-58 loss at the Redhawk Center in Seattle, WA.

Seattle, WA Feb. 11, 2023:: GCU can't match Seattle University in their 63-58 loss at the Redhawk Center in Seattle, WA.

GCU was still in a double-digit hole after nine minutes and went without a made field goal by leading scorer Ray Harrison for the first half. The sophomore guard scored 11 points in the first 11 minutes of the second half, when GCU capped a 46-27 turnaround with consecutive 3-pointers by junior guard Josh Bakers and senior guard Walter Ellis.

Ellis' 3, off one of Harrison's seven assists, put GCU ahead 56-47 with 7:15 remaining in the game. Despite repeated chances with open 3s and shots around the rim, the Lopes went 1 for 13 from the field for the remainder of the game and missed their final seven shots. How many times did Drew like the shots that the Lopes took down the stretch?

"Most of the time," Drew said. "I thought Gabe (McGlothan) had unbelievable looks. He was 3 for 14. I thought Ray had some good looks. They go 9 for 34 together. It's hard to win on the road when your two best players go 9 for 34. I think it's a credit to our defense for keeping us in there and holding them to 36% and giving us a chance to win.

"We're playing really hard on defense. Maybe that had something to do with it. But I don't think I would trade some of the looks we had. If we'd played the game again, I'd take those same shots. Those are shots that we've made and shots we have to make to be able to win games."

Despite their slide, GCU's defense maintained the lead until the final 21 seconds of the game. After a possession with four missed shots, the Lopes still led 58-56 entering the final minute when Ellis' post defense against Seattle U's Riley Grigsby froze the score longer.

Seattle, WA Feb. 11, 2023:: GCU can't match Seattle University in their 63-58 loss at the Redhawk Center in Seattle, WA.

Ellis' ensuing corner 3 missed, leaving Seattle U to grab the lead when a screen sprung its hottest player – 6-foot-3 junior guard Alex Schumacher, a transfer from Saint Martin's who scored a season-high 26 points and added eight rebounds, four steal an defense against Harrison.

Schumacher was a 24% 3-point shooter this season, but went 2 for 3 from 3-point range Saturday when he made the go-ahead shot with 22 seconds remaining.

"They believe in each other," Seattle U head coach Chris Victor said. "They knew we were a little flat. 'Schu' was turning it around with some bigtime plays down the stretch. Cam (Tyson) didn't shoot the ball well, but he stuck with it and got some bigtime rebounds at the end to ice it. All these guys made big plays. It's a great team win."

After a time out with 17.8 seconds to go, GCU set up two perimeter screens for Harrison, who got the bigger Grigsby switched onto him before he drove left into the lane and had his shot blocked by Grigsby, who finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Seattle U senior guard Cameron Tyson, held eight points below his team-leading average of 19, made two free throws for a 61-58 lead with 6.7 seconds remaining.

Seeking a 3-point shot to tie without a timeout remaining, Harrison's pass upcourt was stolen to end his up-and-down night of 13 points and seven assists countered by 5-for-20 shooting and six turnovers.

GCU shot 34.4% from the field for its worst clip since November, when they shot 29% at Nevada and 27% against Wichita State in Kansas City. Besides Harrison, sophomore guard Chance McMillian was the only other Lopes double-digit scorer with all 12 of his points coming in GCU's 26-point first half.

McMillian fouled out of the game with 4:22 remaining on a loose-ball rebound with Seattle U in the bonus situation. The Redhawks went 8 for 8 on free throws during their 16-2 finish to move to 8-0 at Redhawk Center.

"Despite the first five minutes of the game and then the last couple, I thought we put together a really good game, built a nine-point lead and had some some key plays that if we'd made one more play in those stretches," Drew said. "I think we'd have had some cushion at the end that we could have got to the free throw line. But unfortunately we just couldn't make a 3 or get a loose ball during those last eight minutes."