Another rally sends win streak to 12

Thursday, January 11

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

15-1,5-0WAC

Abilene Christian

6-9,1-3WAC

Abilene Christian

Grand Canyon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

1/11/2024 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Grant-Foster's 19 points in 2nd half couple with team defense to complete comeback

By: Paul Coro

In the past eight days, Grand Canyon has been down seven points through the first 12 minutes at Southern Utah, trailed by 14 points in the first 10 minutes at Utah Tech and fell behind by nine points at home in fewer than 12 minutes Thursday night to Abilene Christian.

The formula is not ideal, but the results are. GCU rallied again to beat Abilene Christian 74-64 at sold-out Global Credit Union Arena and stretch the nation's third-longest active winning streak to 12 games. That matches the longest winning streak of its 11-year Division I era from 2915-16.

GCU (15-1, 5-0 WAC) is the WAC's only unbeaten team in conference play after just five games.

On Thursday night, that required climbing out of a turnover-induced 23-14 hole to take a lead by halftime and never trail again. It took more of the same concoction from Saturday night's win at Utah Tech with graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan's influence in all phases, junior guard Ray Harrison's defense on a shooting threat and senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster's incendiary offense.

After scoring 14 of his 20 points in the second half Saturday, Grant-Foster notched 19 of his game-high 24-points Thursday night in the second half. A top-15 scorer nationally, Grant-Foster has scored at le Phoenix, AZ jan. 11, 2024 GCU gets a 74-64 win over Abilene Christian at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/GCU

ast 20 points in all five conference games this season.

"We came out in the second half with a better and deeper intensity than we did at the beginning, which we got to get better at," Grant-Foster said. "But we did what we needed to do defensively to get the dub."

Much like last week's road win, the Lopes flipped the game before halftime. Over the final 28 minutes of play, Abiliene Christian was held to 36% shooting from the field.

After GCU head coach Bryce Drew called a timeout following the Lopes' eighth turnover giving the Wildcats a dunk and a 23-14 lead, GCU locked down to block five of Abilene Christian's next 10 shots. The Wildcats made 1 of 10 shots to lose the lead in a 12-2 Lopes run.

"We were really hopeful coming back home that we would get off to a quicker start," Drew said. "We'll have to go back, evaluate and look at it what happened in that first segment. This is two games in a row so it is concerning, and it's happened earlier in the year too with that group. That group plays really well throughout the game, but it seems like the first four minutes haven't been our best."

Phoenix, AZ jan. 11, 2024 GCU gets a 74-64 win over Abilene Christian at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Abilene Christian never led in the second half, but it would not go away either.

The Wildcats cut the lead to 60-55 with five minutes remaining, but the Lopes scored eight points on the next four trips with four points on McGlothan free throws and four points on Grant-Foster rim attacks – a dunk off sophomore center Duke Brennan's assist and a hanging take that is becoming familiar for how he maintains control to finish.

"It's nice when you have three guys that can really score the ball out there because hopefully one of them is going to get open and be able to carry in stretches," Drew said. "Different parts of the game, it's Ray, it's Gabe and the last two games, those last seven minutes especially, Tyon's just been tremendous with the ball in his hands."

Abilene Christian leading scorer Ali Abdou Dibba scored 20, but Harrison led the defense that kept guard Hunter Jack Madden to 2-of-9 shooting and McGlothan keyed the job on power forward Airion Simmons going 2 for 11.

Harrison had a 10-point, four-assist game and the team's best plus-minus at plus-16 in 34 minutes of play.

Phoenix, AZ jan. 11, 2024 GCU gets a 74-64 win over Abilene Christian at Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix. David Kadlubowski/GCU

"I take pride in being a player that you can plug and play me in any type of environment with any player, anybody, any gym and I fit," Harrison said.

When the Lopes needed support in the first half, the bench responded with 12 points. Graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. delivered key playing time for the second consecutive game, adding three points, three assists and a steal in 15 minutes.

"It's tough when you sit out for a long time, and it's pretty much a totally different team when he comes back than when he left," Drew said of Blacksher's return from knee surgery and rehabilitation. "Credit him. He's fought through a lot. It's so encouraging to see each game. He's getting better every game. This was a game that was his best game with his speed and how he moved with the ball and made some excellent passes."

Following up on winning WAC Player of the Week, McGlothan set a career high Thursday night with five assists, all coming in the second half as Abilene Christian sent double teams at him in the post or off the dribble. He still racked up 13 points to set another career best with his ninth consecutive double-digit scoring game while still grabbing eight rebounds.

"He's in such a good rhythm right now," Drew said. "He's not forcing shots. His ball-handling is so much improved from last year and his decision-making. He's just really confident getting to his spots on the court. You can see him really try to get there. Tonight, I thought his free-throw shooting )7 of 8) was huge and his aggressiveness to get fouled and get to the line."

GCU will stay home for a Saturday night game against Tarleton State (10-5, 3-1 WAC), which lost 77-63 at California Baptist on Thursday night to leave the Lopes as the only unbeaten team in conference play.