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2 p.m. (MST)
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, January 13
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Tarleton State
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Clutch Lopes aim to be early risers
1/12/2024 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
GCU puts 12-game winning streak on line vs. 2nd-place Tarleton State
Saturday, Jan. 13 | 6 p.m. | Global Credit Union Arena | Phoenix, Ariz. |
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TARLETON STATE
TEXANS (10-5, 3-1 WAC) |
at | GRAND CANYON LOPES (15-1, 5-0 WAC) |
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| WATCH: FOX 10 Xtra (Ch. 45, Cable 9), ESPN+ | LISTEN: 1580 The Fanatic | STATS: View | ||||
Grand Canyon has proven to be icy in comebacks that put wins in the deep freeze. The Lopes often tilt games in second halves with points like they are playing pinball.
But for as much as GCU appreciates assembling tying for the nation's best record and assembling the third-longest active winning streak, the Lopes would prefer to stop playing from behind starting with Saturday night's WAC first-place showdown with Tarleton State.
GCU (15-1, 5-0 WAC) has dug 16-, nine- and seven-point holes in its past three wins and has not led at halftime in seven of 16 games this season. The ability to rally so consistently is a testament to the sheer talent of the team and halftime adjustments of the coaching staff,
The Lopes may be only one game ahead of the visiting Texans (10-5, 3-1 WAC) in the loss column, but their rise into national conversations is revving up opponents as much as their rare experience in a Global Credit Union Arena environment.
"I feel like we underestimate that at times," GCU junior guard Ray Harrison said. "I feel like we come into these games kind of expecting these teams to give us a level of respect. They look at us like, 'Nah, we're better than y'all.' We can do a better job of being more aware and cognitive of that."Only Utah State and Samford have longer winning streaks than GCU's 12-game winning streak, which matches the program record in the 11-year Division I era. But the streak has been in peril with first-half deficits of seven points or more in eight games.
Just in conference play, the Lopes have rallied to win after trailing in each of the past four first halves. GCU is outscoring opponents by an average of 8.8 points per second half this season.
"Conference games are so competitive," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "We love playing in front of our home crowd. We know Saturday is going to be very tough. We have a lot of prep in a day to get ready for that one."They're really, really physical and play really physical defense and aggressive. Taking care of the ball is going to be a must on Saturday."
There is not complacency in a program that continues to be kept out of the top-25 polls, despite getting votes for five consecutive weeks while continuing to win. With a Saturday win, GCU would remain unbeaten in conference play while every other WAC team would already have at least two losses in the first three weeks of conference play.
The Lopes are dominating the WAC Resume Seeding System (see below) even more than the win-loss standings, but they know they are constantly being scrutinized. After Thursday night's 10-point win, GCU slipped from No. 38 nationally to No. 43 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) that is factored for NCAA tournament seeding.
"That starts with our coaches," Harrison said. "They expect and want more from us, and why not? When you have a talented group like us, you might as well as try get as much out of it. We don't know the potential of this group, so we're trying to figure it out day after day."
Lope tracks
- GCU's 15-1 record is its best start to a season since 1995-96, when it went 19-1 in Division II play. With a Saturday win, the Lopes have a chance for their first 9-0 home start since 2018-19.
- Lopes junior guard Ray Harrison ranks sixth nationally for career scoring average (17.0) among active Division I players.
- McGlothan ranks 14th among active Division I players for career rebounds (918).
- GCU's 12 consecutive wins mark its longest in-season winning streak since taking 12 in a row during the 2015-16 season.
- The Lopes rank in the national top 30 for blocks per game (16th, 5.5), free throws made per game (14th, 18.3) and rebound margin (27th, plus-7.4 per game).
- GCU senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster ranks 15th nation for points per game (20.7) and 18th for free throws made (82). He is the first GCU player to score at least 20 points in five consecutive WAC games.
- Lopes graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. needs three points to pass Jerome Garrison for ninth place on the GCU all-time scoring list. On Saturday, he became one of four Lopes to accrue 400 career assists.
- Tarleton State 6-foot-6 forward Jakorie Smith posted the highest-scoring game of any WAC player this season with 34 points against FIU on Nov. 9.
- Texans 6-foot-6 forward KiAndre Gaddy shares the WAC lead for double-doubles with five.
- Tarleton State have the second-best turnover margin (plus-2.8 per game) in the WAC to Abilene Christian, the team that caused the Lopes to make 15 turnovers on Thursday night.
WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Jan. 12) |
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| Rank | Team | Record (WAC only) | WAC points |
| 1. | GCU | 15-1 (5-0) | 5.12 |
| 2. | Tarleton State | 10-5 (3-1) | 0.49 |
| 3. | Seattle U | 10-6 (3-2) | -0.10 |
| 4. | Utah Valley | 8-8 (3-2) | -0.57 |
| 5. | Stephen F. Austin | 10-6 (3-2) | -0.60 |
| 6. | UT Arlington | 7-9 (2-3) | -1.08 |
| 7. | Utah Tech | 7-9 (3-2) | -1.46 |
| 8. | California Baptist | 9-7 (2-3) | -1.70 |
| 9. | Abilene Christian | 6-9 (1-3) | -2.46 |
| 10. | Southern Utah | 5-10 (0-4) | -3.58 |
| 11. | UT Rio Grande Valley | 5-11 (1-4) | -4.51 |
The WAC Resume Seeding System will determine seeding for the eight-team WAC Tournament. The top two seeds will receive first- and second-round byes. The third and fourth seeds will receive first-round byes.
Players Mentioned
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