Lopes keep it rollin’, beat Utah Tech by 25

Saturday, January 6

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

12-3,4-0WAC

Utah Tech

8-7,2-2WAC

Utah Tech

Grand Canyon

1/6/2024 5:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Rout improves GCU to 12-3 overall, 4-0 in WAC play

By: Nick Macdonald

Grand Canyon began the new year with a commanding victory Thursday and fed off that with another double-digit win Saturday as it defeated Utah Tech 73-48 for its 12th win of the season.

GCU is 12-3 overall and keeps its undefeated WAC record intact at 4-0. Its home record also improved to 8-2 with six straight wins at Global Credit Union Arena.

"If you've been on the inside, you would know this team is locked in," Lopes head coach Molly Miller said. "We had to have a cram session the past day and a half with the back-to-back, quick turnaround games, and they were so locked and ready to go. With two people out in Trinity and Tiarra, we have always said this, it's not if your opportunity is going to come but when your opportunity will come. So, it takes a team effort and we have had players stepping up left and right."

Scoring continued to be distributed throughout the squad, which was playing without Preseason All-WAC selections Trinity San Antonio and Tiarra Brown for the second straight contest. Junior guard Naudia Evans and senior forward Olivia Lane scored 15 points each, with Evans accounting for seven rebounds to Lane's six. Lane is now 18 points shy of 1,000 for her career and has scored 27 points with 17 rebounds in her last two games.

Playing in her sixth game of the season, GCU fifth-year guard Jada Holland had her most impactful game to date with 13 points, eight assists, five steals and three rebounds as she captained the offense to a 47% field goal percentage. Graduate forward Sydney Erikstrup had 11 pointsf, her second straight double-digit scoring game, and added four boards in her first start of the season.

"We have a lot of different people that can score, and it can be anyone's night," Holland said. "Losing Tiarra and Trinity is huge for us, so for me being a fifth year, staying poised and taking the shots that are given to me and finding my teammates is the game plan. Earlier in the season I think I was rushing it, so today I just knew we had to match how much they could score and to deliver the first punch and be calm and collective was key."

Like Thursday's win over Southern Utah, the Lopes came out firing from all cylinders in the first quarter Saturday, scoring 24 points with four 3-pointers to lead 24-7 after one period. Utah Tech (8-7, 2-2 WAC) was held to just seven first-quarter points and nine second-quarter points as GCU led by no fewer than 15 points in the second quarter. It went into the halftime break leading 40-16, the second straight contest it has held an opponent to 20 points or less through the first 20 minutes of play.

GCU kept its foot on the gas with a lead as large as 33 points on two separate occasions in the third quarter. It was outscored 15-13 in the fourth quarter but has outscored its opposition in 12 of the last 16 quarters played.

The Lopes' bread-and-butter lockdown defense once again showed out, specifically beyond the perimeter as it held the Trailblazers to 16% accuracy (2 of 12) from 3-point range. Utah Tech entered with four players' scoring averages in double figures and as one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the WAC, but it was held to just one double0-digit scorer and two attempted 3s in the entire second half.

"I couldn't be prouder," Miller said. "I don't know if I have been around a team with this much intent, buy in and focus on the next game. They executed the game plan to a tee and in a short turnaround I couldn't be prouder."

GCU made 10 shots from 3-point range with seven coming in the first half and hit a 38.5% clip on 3s for the game. It has shot 40% or higher from the field and 30% or better from beyond the arc in its past four games.

The Lopes will now hit the road for three straight games, including two next week with the first stop Thursday at Abilene Christian. It ends the Texas trip at Tarleton State next Saturday before heading back on the road to Utah Valley on Jan. 18. GCU's next home game is Jan. 20 vs. Seattle U.