WAC leader SFA evens series with GCU

Saturday, February 11

Nacogdoches, Texas

1 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

17-7,9-4WAC

Stephen F. Austin

21-4,11-2WAC

Grand Canyon

SFA

2/11/2023 5:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Lumberjacks avenge loss to Lopes by holding home court

By: Paul Coro

NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Grand Canyon women's basketball team fell to Stephen F. Austin 79-66 on Saturday at William R. Johnson Coliseum.

The game was the second of the series in the regular season, with Lopes (17-7, 9-4 WAC) prevailing in the previous meeting against the conference's first-place team.

GCU sophomore guard Naudia Evans led all scorers with 23 points, her third 20-plus point effort of the season. Evans added three rebounds and two assists and went 9 for 11 from the free throw line. Lopes junior forwards Tiarra Brown and Olivia Lane narrowly missed out on double-doubles with nine rebounds each while Brown scored 14 points and Lane added 11 to both extend their double-digit scoring streaks to seven and five games, respectively.

GCU shot 41.4% from the floor, its fourth straight game shooting over 40%. The Lopes made 17 of 23 free throws but had a season-low one made 3-pointer.

The teams traded baskets in the first quarter, when they combined for 39 points as Stephen F. Austin (21-4, 11-2 WAC) led 23-16 after one. The Lopes cut the Ladyjacks' lead to 25-22 after a pair of Evans free throws. However, SFA went on a 5-0 run to go up 30-22 with four minutes left in the half. The Lopes trailed 36-28 at the break.

SFA took its largest lead, 43-31, in the third quarter before the Lopes stormed back to within four points, 46-42. The run was fueled by Evans, who scored seven points in a three-minute stretch to make it a two-possession game. Momentum shifted back to the Ladyjacks, who went on an 8-2 run to lead 54-44. SFA held a 58-49 advantage at the end of three quarters and then led by double digits for most of the fourth quarter to end GCU's three-game winning streak.

GCU returns home for the first of three straight home games on Saturday, Feb. 18, versus Seattle U. The next three home games are the last ones at GCU Arena this season for the Lopes, who host Utah Valley on Feb. 23 and UT Arlington on Feb. 25.