GCU returns home for first of 3 straight Saturday vs. Seattle U

Saturday, February 18

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

2/17/2023 12:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

GCU begins final regular season home stand at 2 p.m.

By: Nick Macdonald

Saturday, Feb. 18 \| 2 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	SEATTLE U REDHAWKS (4-19, 4-9 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (17-7, 9-4 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK

Grand Canyon returns home for the first of three games straight at GCU Arena Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Seattle U.
The home stand is the final set of regular season home games for the Lopes, who end the regular season on the road in Utah.
GCU has only lost three times at home this season and once in the calendar year, with its last loss in Phoenix coming Jan. 25 vs. Southern Utah. It seeks to be one of two teams in the WAC to win 12+ home games in each of the past three seasons (SFA).

GCU ranks fourth in the nation in steals per game (12.6), 15th in turnovers forced per game (21.00) and 43rd in turnover margin (3.75). The Lopes have forced 15+ turnovers in 19 of 24 games this season.
The Lopes are one of three teams to have three players in the top-20 in rebounds per game in WAC play (CBU, Southern Utah). Evan Zars (T-7th/7.0), Olivia Lane (13th/6.2) and Tiarra Brown (17th/5.4) each rank in the top-20 with 35% of their combined rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
Tiarra Brown has recorded seven straight double digit scoring efforts, averaging 12.4 points in that span. The Lopes are 3-1 in that stretch of seven games when Brown registers 10+ points and 5+ rebounds. She is averaging 10.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game for the season.
Both Olivia Lane and Naudia Evans rank in the top-10 in free throw percentage against WAC teams. Lane (T-3rd/83.3%) is 17-of-21 from the line and Evans (8th/77.8%) 17-of-23 in the past three games.
Head Coach Molly Miller ranks third in the nation in winning percentage (.853), tallying a 237-41 record in six seasons at Drury and three-plus at GCU. She trails only UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma (.884) and LSU's Head Coach Kim Mulkey (.860) among active head coaches.*coaches who have competed in three or more seasons.

GCU Arena, dubbed the biggest party in college basketball, opened in September of 2011 and has since held one of the loudest and energetic crowds of any college basketball arena in the country.
Since the 2011-12 season, the Lopes are 123-45 at home with a 35-8 record under Molly Miller. Miller has led the Lopes to back-to-back 12 win seasons at home, going 12-1 in 2020-21 and 12-3 last season.
GCU is looking to become one of two teams in the WAC to win 12+ games at home since the 2020-21 season. Only SFA has 12 or more wins at home in each season since then.

The Lopes have have stepped up its perimeter defense in WAC play and ranks second in the conference in three point percentage defense (28.3%).
In WAC play, opponents have combined to shoot 27.6% from deep (76-of-275). The Lopes have held opponents to less than 30% from three in 8-of-13 conference games this season. Sam Houston totaled the highest opponent three point percentage of the season (45%), rather, WAC opponents who shoot 34% or higher against the Lopes are 2-5 on the season.

Seattle U enters Phoenix 4-19 overall and 4-9 in WAC play. It recently fell to New Mexico State 56-47 in Las Cruces Thursday evening.
Three of its four conference wins have come in the last three weeks as the Redhawks are 3-3 in their last six games.
Peyton Howard leads the team in points per game with 10.0. She's also recorded a team best 39 steals and 65 assists (2.8 apg).
The Redhawks own the WAC's best three point shooting defense (41st in the nation). It is holding opponents to 27.7% from three and recently held the Aggies to 0-of-6 Thursday.
Taliyah Clark is right behind Howard in points per game with 9.9 per contest. Her 1.7 three pointers per game ranks sixth in the conference.

GCU has won five straight against the Redhawks, the latest coming last season Feb. 3, 2022 with a 64-59 win in Seattle.
Dominique Phillips scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds off the bench as the Lopes made eight threes and went 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

The Lopes remain home for the final two regular season home games at GCU Arena, starting Thursday, Feb. 23 vs. Utah Valley at 6 p.m.
The final regular season home game begins Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. UT Arlington at 2 p.m.