Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, January 27
Arlington, Texas
1 p.m. (MST)
Grand Canyon
19-2,9-1WAC
67
at
61
UT Arlington
9-11,4-5WAC
1
2
F
Grand Canyon
30
37
67
UT Arlington
35
26
61
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Relentless runs rally Lopes to road win
1/27/2024 8:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
GCU closed out UT Arlington with 17-2 run to move its record to 19-2
ARLINGTON, Texas – For a half Saturday, Grand Canyon met a match in its ability to inflict a dominating run.
GCU's early spurt of 13 unanswered points was washed away when UT Arlington ended the first half on a 15-0 run. But the Lopes brought enough runs for its track team, flashing explosive second-half runs of 13-0 and 11-0 to beat the Mavericks 67-61.
GCU hit the tape first Saturday in front of 2,871 fans at College Park Center, where UT Arlington had been 8-1, to reclaim the nation's best winning percentage at .905.
The Lopes (19-2, 9-1 WAC) are taking the conference race's halfway curve with a 2 1/2-game lead on the pack. They got there this week by being gritty at Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night and turning clutch at UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon.
GCU is finding ways to prevail despite having consecutive sub-31% shooting games that each set a new second-worst shooting percentage for a win in its Division I-era.
On Saturday, the Lopes won despite shooting 29.6% from the field because their active, long-armed defense harassed the Mavericks into 25 turnovers, also a GCU Division I-era record for an opponent. The win marked the Lopes' seventh double-digit comeback this season.
"The win at Stephen F. prepped us for this one," said GCU junior guard Ray Harrison, referring to the Lopes' 53-51 victory on Thursday at SFA. "If we had played any other team, it wouldn't have done as much good as that game did . We just tried to carry over the energy and intensity. We knew coming in here that these guys really wanted to win. We just tried to match their energy."
Like SFA on Thursday night, UT Arlington was playing at home on a week's rest. But even after Friday's three-hour bus ride and a tipoff coming less than 24 hours after arriving, GCU was the aggressor Saturday to make up for its poor shooting from the field with frequent shooting from the free throw line.
The Lopes ranked eighth nationally with 18.3 made free throws per game entering Saturday and enhanced that stature by sinking a season-high 31 free throws on 36 attempts.
"We have some aggressive players," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "You look at the turnovers and sometimes we don't make great decisions. Sometimes we're not shot-ready. But we do get in the lane, and we are confrontational in the lane. It's nice to see the refs don't get immune to all the contact that we get going to the rim with our players."
After an 11-game stretch of 51% shooting from the field, the Lopes have shot 34% over the past three road games and still managed to win two of them.
That was attributed to its defense as much as its free throw shooting on Saturday. UT Arlington had been 8-1 at home because it was averaging 81.3 points per game, but the Mavericks were frazzled into 36.5% shooting with 25 turnovers.
GCU often benefits in games when it switches to a zone defense, but the momentum change in Saturday's game came when the players told Drew they wanted to return to man defense in the second half.
"They bought in, 'Let's go play man and try to get it done that way,' " Drew said. "They were really active. Gabe (McGlothan) did a great job at the five (center) in that stretch. Our wings were really active with their hands and got some deflections and shot-clock violations. We slowly got some momentum going our way."
GCU was in dire straits when it trailed 50-36 at the 12-minute mark, but graduate forwards Lok Wur and Gabe McGlothan got to the line and junior guard Collin Moore drew another foul in an early bonus situation for the first five points of a 13-0 run.
"Like we have said all year, this team has many different guys that can step up in different moments," McGlothan said. "Most people look at who led in scoring or other stats, but few notice how important the details are that go into those runs. Down the line, we know this team can depend on every number on the bench to step up and make big individual plays, scoring or not, that lead to our team success."
That 13-0 run included a four-point play in which Wur made a 3-pointer from Moore, who added a free throw for a simultaneous flopping call on UT Arlington.
But it all began with the defense causing five consecutive Mavericks turnovers before UT Arlington missed 12 of its last 14 shots.
"With man, it comes down to the simple fact that we have to bite down as individuals," Harrison said. "You have to take your matchup personally."
Even that 13-0 run did not wipe away the lead of UT Arlington, which rebuilt the edge to 59-50 after McGlothan and sophomore center Duke Brennan each picked up their fourth fouls. But like Thursday night at SFA, each big man was able to finish the game without fouling out.
"They're a comeback team," Mavericks head coach KT Turner said of GCU. "They like when they're down."
The Lopes closed the game on a 17-2 roll with the first eight points coming from senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster before he added a beautiful fastbreak assist for a Brennan three-point play.
UT Arlington's only bucket in the game's final five minutes pulled the Mavericks even at 61-61. That was when the relay of clutch Lopes came down the stretch with Moore. He rebounded a Grant-Foster miss and was fouled as he made a drive, but the shot was waved off.
Moore sank two free throws for a 63-61 lead with 33.1 seconds to go. UT Arlington leading scorer Phillip Russell missed an open 3-pointer, and McGlothan grabbed his ninth rebound to go with 14points.
That play led to two Harrison free throws on his 7-for-7 night at the line, giving the Lopes a 65-61 lead with 17.8 seconds to go.
Grant-Foster, who led GCU with 18 points, blocked the ensuing 3-point try by UT Arlington guard DaJuan Gordon and gathered the ball for a game-sealing breakaway dunk.
Drew celebrated the unifying leadership and passion that was displayed Saturday by Harrison, who was playing in front of his sister, aunts, uncles and cousins.
"I was telling our guys to stay the course," said Harrison, who posted 16 points, four steals and three assists in 37 minutes. "We knew they were going to throw some punches and go on runs. Basketball is a game of runs. They went on their runs and we went on ours. We just tried to stay even-keeled. Of course, we had some moments in our huddles where we were bickering with each other, but that's just how bad we want it."
The Lopes season's top scoring trio of Grant-Foster, Harrison and McGlothan could not find their shots on Saturday, going 11 for 38 (29%) to be right in line with the team's shooting. But those three also went 23 for 27 on free throws with Moore adding a 6-for-6 night.
"We looked a little bit tired out there, emotionally and physically," Drew said of the first half, which ended with a 28-17 lead turning into a 35-28 halfitme hole after the Lopes' 15th turnover.
GCU made four second-half turnovers and none for the game's final 13 minutes. The Lopes scored on their last nine possessions of the game, a stretch in which UT Arlington scored once.
The winning formula was similar to the teams' first meeting in Phoenix on Dec. 2, when GCU made 28 free throws and rallied with a late 12-0 run. Only five other teams have won a game this season when shooting less than 30% and just two of those did so on the road.
"What a great four or five minutes that we had," Drew said. "I think it speaks to the heart, determination and will of these guys."
GCU trailed Princeton for the nation's best record entering Saturday, but the Tigers lost to Cornell while the Lopes matched their program's best 21-game record at 19-2. The Lopes get a chance to avenge the loss that ended their 14-game winning streak last Saturday night,when Seattle U visits Global Credit Union Arena on Thursday night.
"These guys are warriors," Drew said. "I'm really thankful for the effort they gave these two games."
GCU's early spurt of 13 unanswered points was washed away when UT Arlington ended the first half on a 15-0 run. But the Lopes brought enough runs for its track team, flashing explosive second-half runs of 13-0 and 11-0 to beat the Mavericks 67-61.
GCU hit the tape first Saturday in front of 2,871 fans at College Park Center, where UT Arlington had been 8-1, to reclaim the nation's best winning percentage at .905.
The Lopes (19-2, 9-1 WAC) are taking the conference race's halfway curve with a 2 1/2-game lead on the pack. They got there this week by being gritty at Stephen F. Austin on Thursday night and turning clutch at UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon.
GCU is finding ways to prevail despite having consecutive sub-31% shooting games that each set a new second-worst shooting percentage for a win in its Division I-era.
On Saturday, the Lopes won despite shooting 29.6% from the field because their active, long-armed defense harassed the Mavericks into 25 turnovers, also a GCU Division I-era record for an opponent. The win marked the Lopes' seventh double-digit comeback this season.
"The win at Stephen F. prepped us for this one," said GCU junior guard Ray Harrison, referring to the Lopes' 53-51 victory on Thursday at SFA. "If we had played any other team, it wouldn't have done as much good as that game did . We just tried to carry over the energy and intensity. We knew coming in here that these guys really wanted to win. We just tried to match their energy."
Like SFA on Thursday night, UT Arlington was playing at home on a week's rest. But even after Friday's three-hour bus ride and a tipoff coming less than 24 hours after arriving, GCU was the aggressor Saturday to make up for its poor shooting from the field with frequent shooting from the free throw line.
The Lopes ranked eighth nationally with 18.3 made free throws per game entering Saturday and enhanced that stature by sinking a season-high 31 free throws on 36 attempts.
"We have some aggressive players," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "You look at the turnovers and sometimes we don't make great decisions. Sometimes we're not shot-ready. But we do get in the lane, and we are confrontational in the lane. It's nice to see the refs don't get immune to all the contact that we get going to the rim with our players."After an 11-game stretch of 51% shooting from the field, the Lopes have shot 34% over the past three road games and still managed to win two of them.
That was attributed to its defense as much as its free throw shooting on Saturday. UT Arlington had been 8-1 at home because it was averaging 81.3 points per game, but the Mavericks were frazzled into 36.5% shooting with 25 turnovers.
GCU often benefits in games when it switches to a zone defense, but the momentum change in Saturday's game came when the players told Drew they wanted to return to man defense in the second half.
"They bought in, 'Let's go play man and try to get it done that way,' " Drew said. "They were really active. Gabe (McGlothan) did a great job at the five (center) in that stretch. Our wings were really active with their hands and got some deflections and shot-clock violations. We slowly got some momentum going our way."
GCU was in dire straits when it trailed 50-36 at the 12-minute mark, but graduate forwards Lok Wur and Gabe McGlothan got to the line and junior guard Collin Moore drew another foul in an early bonus situation for the first five points of a 13-0 run.
"Like we have said all year, this team has many different guys that can step up in different moments," McGlothan said. "Most people look at who led in scoring or other stats, but few notice how important the details are that go into those runs. Down the line, we know this team can depend on every number on the bench to step up and make big individual plays, scoring or not, that lead to our team success."That 13-0 run included a four-point play in which Wur made a 3-pointer from Moore, who added a free throw for a simultaneous flopping call on UT Arlington.
But it all began with the defense causing five consecutive Mavericks turnovers before UT Arlington missed 12 of its last 14 shots.
"With man, it comes down to the simple fact that we have to bite down as individuals," Harrison said. "You have to take your matchup personally."
Even that 13-0 run did not wipe away the lead of UT Arlington, which rebuilt the edge to 59-50 after McGlothan and sophomore center Duke Brennan each picked up their fourth fouls. But like Thursday night at SFA, each big man was able to finish the game without fouling out.
"They're a comeback team," Mavericks head coach KT Turner said of GCU. "They like when they're down."
The Lopes closed the game on a 17-2 roll with the first eight points coming from senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster before he added a beautiful fastbreak assist for a Brennan three-point play.
UT Arlington's only bucket in the game's final five minutes pulled the Mavericks even at 61-61. That was when the relay of clutch Lopes came down the stretch with Moore. He rebounded a Grant-Foster miss and was fouled as he made a drive, but the shot was waved off.
Moore sank two free throws for a 63-61 lead with 33.1 seconds to go. UT Arlington leading scorer Phillip Russell missed an open 3-pointer, and McGlothan grabbed his ninth rebound to go with 14points.
That play led to two Harrison free throws on his 7-for-7 night at the line, giving the Lopes a 65-61 lead with 17.8 seconds to go.
Grant-Foster, who led GCU with 18 points, blocked the ensuing 3-point try by UT Arlington guard DaJuan Gordon and gathered the ball for a game-sealing breakaway dunk.Drew celebrated the unifying leadership and passion that was displayed Saturday by Harrison, who was playing in front of his sister, aunts, uncles and cousins.
"I was telling our guys to stay the course," said Harrison, who posted 16 points, four steals and three assists in 37 minutes. "We knew they were going to throw some punches and go on runs. Basketball is a game of runs. They went on their runs and we went on ours. We just tried to stay even-keeled. Of course, we had some moments in our huddles where we were bickering with each other, but that's just how bad we want it."
The Lopes season's top scoring trio of Grant-Foster, Harrison and McGlothan could not find their shots on Saturday, going 11 for 38 (29%) to be right in line with the team's shooting. But those three also went 23 for 27 on free throws with Moore adding a 6-for-6 night.
"We looked a little bit tired out there, emotionally and physically," Drew said of the first half, which ended with a 28-17 lead turning into a 35-28 halfitme hole after the Lopes' 15th turnover.
GCU made four second-half turnovers and none for the game's final 13 minutes. The Lopes scored on their last nine possessions of the game, a stretch in which UT Arlington scored once.
The winning formula was similar to the teams' first meeting in Phoenix on Dec. 2, when GCU made 28 free throws and rallied with a late 12-0 run. Only five other teams have won a game this season when shooting less than 30% and just two of those did so on the road.
"What a great four or five minutes that we had," Drew said. "I think it speaks to the heart, determination and will of these guys."
GCU trailed Princeton for the nation's best record entering Saturday, but the Tigers lost to Cornell while the Lopes matched their program's best 21-game record at 19-2. The Lopes get a chance to avenge the loss that ended their 14-game winning streak last Saturday night,when Seattle U visits Global Credit Union Arena on Thursday night.
"These guys are warriors," Drew said. "I'm really thankful for the effort they gave these two games."
Team Stats
GCU
UTA
FG%
.296
.365
3FG%
.211
.227
FT%
.861
.900
RB
32
35
TO
19
25
STL
11
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
16
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Pts
14
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
9
Pts
8
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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