WAC Tournament payoff would come with payback

WAC Tournament quarterfinal Thursday, March 9 \| 3 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Orleans Arena \| Las Vegas, Nev.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (21-11)	vs.	SEATTLE U REDHAWKS (20-11)

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LAS VEGAS – If the Thursday afternoon marquee only read "Grand Canyon vs. Seattle U," that would be enough for GCU after losing twice last month to the Redhawks this season.

But with the added touch of "WAC Tournament quarterfinal," revenge at Orleans Arena is not nearly as important as just remaining in Las Vegas with a Lopes win in the 3 p.m. (Phoenix time) rematch.

A victory would put GCU (21-11) in a Friday semifinal at 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) against today's Sam Houston-California Baptist winner.

"It's another bump on the road that we've got to overcome," Lopes junior center Yvan Ouedraogo said. "We are more focused on taking one at a time. Whoever's in front of us, we're going to play our best to try to get a win."

No. 4 seed Seattle U (20-11) won the first meeting 63-58 at Redhawk Center despite the fifth-seeded Lopes leading by nine with 7:15 to go and taking a lead into the final minute. GCU set a Division I-era record low for scoring in a half two weeks later with 13 points in a 65-54 loss.

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: GCU drops their game against Seattle U 65-54 lat GCU Arena.

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: GCU drops their game against Seattle U 65-54 lat GCU Arena.

Frequent 3-point shooting defines the Redhawks, but their defensive intensity has been the major cog to its winning formula. Two of GCU's four lowest-shooting games this season came against Seattle U (34.4% and 32.7%), but the Lopes are 13-0 when they shoot at least 48% this season.

"They're really physical," GCU head coach Bryce Drew. "Our leading scorers particularly haven't shot well against them in two games. It's a credit to them for how they defended Ray in two games (11-for-36 shooting) and how physical they've been on our drives."

Cameron Tyson, a 6-foot-2 guard, leads Seattle U in scoring this season with 18.3 points per game and ranks sixth nationally for 3-point attempts (273). He has averaged 16 points in the two GCU games this season, making 4 of 16 3-pointers. The Redhawks averaged the 13th-most 3-point attempts per game in the nation but rank No. 299 for 3-point percentage at 31.8%.

Complementary players hurt the Lopes in the first two losses, whether it was Seattle U guard Alex Schumacher scoring a season-high 26 in the first meeting or 6-foot-10 center Brandton Chatfield going 7 for 7 from the field, mostly on dunks, in the second game.

"We felt like we didn't play as physical as we could the second time and that's how they got the win," redshirt freshman forward Kobe Knox said. "We know what we can do, and we'll get back to it. We're prepared now."

Lopes sophomore guard Ray Harrison took his game to another level during GCU's three-game winning streak, averaging 28 points on 58% shooting. He needs 24 points to break DeWayne Russell's single-season scoring record for the Lopes' 10-year Division I era. PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: GCU drops their game against Seattle U 65-54 lat GCU Arena. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: GCU drops their game against Seattle U 65-54 lat GCU Arena. (Photo by: David Kadlubowski/GCU)

The Lopes are 8-0 in Harrison's 25-point games but need supporting actors in junior power forward Gabe McGlothan for scoring on the interior and sophomore guard Chance McMillian to ease the playmaking and shotmaking burdens on Harrison.

"Ray's been spectacular, especially these last three games, and other guys have stepped up," Drew said. "Gabe has been playing really well. Chance was really good last game. Walter was really good the game before. That's the key. We need three or four guys in double figures."

The Lopes are asking Harrison to lead them to four wins in five days for the WAC Tournament championship and an NCAA tournament berth. Drew believes the 6-foot-3 guard can continue the best play of his career, using the example of Kemba Walker doing so for UConn in the 2011 Big East Tournament with a 26-point average for five wins in five days.

When GCU took the court for its first Las Vegas practice at Tarkanian Basketball Academy this week, Walker's image was part of a wall mural on the foyer's wall.

"It's win or go home, so we have to be at our best," Drew said.

Lope tracks

Sophomore guard Ray Harrison has made 163 free throws this season, ranking 12th in the nation. He was the WAC's leading scorer in conference games at 21.1 points per game and is averaging 28.0 points per game on 58% shooting in the past three contests.
Graduate forward Noah Baumann, the Phoenix Desert Vista High School graduate, ranks 21st nationally among active players for career 3-point shooting percentage at 42.1%. He is the only active Division I player besides Pacific's Luke Avdalovic to have at least 250 made 3s and 42% accuracy.
Sophomore guard Chance McMillian is averaging 13.4 points in his 17 starts since replacing Blacksher, the WAC Preseason Player of the Year who underwent season-ending knee surgery in January.
Senior guard Walter Ellis played 93 minutes in the previous three games. His highest previous three-game stretch in two GCU seasons was 58 minutes.
Junior power forward McGlothan, a Chandler Basha High School graduate, ranks second in the WAC with 7.9 rebounds per game.
Harrison (38 points vs. Utah Tech), McGlothan (18 rebounds vs. Northern Iowa) and injured junior Jovan Blacksher Jr. (seven steals vs. Grambling) hold the WAC season highs for each category.
The Lopes are 10-1 when making 10 or more 3-pointers in a game and 16-3 when making eight or more 3s.
GCU is 13-0 when scoring 78 or more points and is also 13-0 when shooting 48% or better.
The Lopes rank No. 25 nationally for opponent field goal percentage (40.5%).
GCU ranks 41st for 3-point percentage (37.0%) with 8.6 made 3-pointers per game.
The WAC is ranked as the 11th-strongest conference among 32 nationally by KenPom.com.

WAC Tournament quarterfinal
Thursday, March 9 | 3 p.m. (Phoenix time) | Orleans Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.

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Players Mentioned

Noah Baumann

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Walter Ellis

Ray Harrison

Kobe Knox

Gabe McGlothan

Chance McMillian

Yvan Ouedraogo

Grand Canyon University Athletics