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
Tuesday, October 29
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
0-0,0-0WAC
87
vs
57
Eastern New Mexico
0-0,0-0Lone Star
1
2
F
Eastern N.M.
26
31
57
Grand Canyon
44
43
87
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Exhibition win introduces impacts of Coles, Williams
10/29/2024 11:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
New GCU duo leads scoring with combined 37 points at home
The known about Grand Canyon is that five primary players for last season's 30-5 team return with designs on WAC championship rings like the ones they received before Thursday night's exhibition home debut.
The unknown about these Lopes was what the newcomers could do to ascend a program that already broke through with an NCAA tournament win in March.
GCU newcomers JaKobe Coles and Makaih Williams provided answers Tuesday night, leading the Lopes offense in an 87-57 tune-up victory that revved up a Global Credit Union Arena overflow crowd of 7,244 fans for the regular season.
"It's a testament to the team and the culture that they provided for us coming here," Coles said.
Coles unveiled his multi-weapon arsenal to Lopes fans, racking up 19 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal in 24 minutes of savvy and skill.
The 6-foot-8 senior forward, who transferred to GCU after playing for three NCAA tournament teams at TCU, hit 3 of 5 shots from 3-point range and wasn't even the best new Lopes shooter Tuesday night.
Williams went 4 for 4 from 3-point range and 7 for 7 overall, even if senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster, who sat out Tuesday night, interrupted his postgame TV interview to remind him that it was not a perfect shooting night because of a missed free throw.
Williams, a starter last season at UT Arlington, adapted to his GCU sixth man role in a hurry for 18 points in 22 minutes that showed his speed and shooting touch.
The brand of basketball has become familiar to the newcomers after practicing at GCU since the summer, but a raucous environment for an exhibition game is unique, especially with Havocs in Halloween costumes after camping outside the arena Monday night for prime seats.
"It's electric," Coles said. "It gets your juices flowing and excited for the game. It gives you a reason to wake up and want to come play basketball. When I was a kid, I dreamed of moments like this playing in front of a bunch of good fans."
GCU head coach Bryce Drew said the Lopes did not play as well as they performed in a private scrimmage against No. 8 Baylor in Fort Worth, but their propensity to get to the free throw line carried over from last season's team. The Lopes made 24 of 31 (77%) free throws to make up for Coles' and Williams' teammates going 2 for 19 on 3s.
The Lopes led 18-5 early, but Eastern New Mexico hung within single digits for much of the first half. The Greyhounds, an NCAA Division II tournament qualifier with 22 wins last season, grabbed 10 offensive rebounds but failed to capitalize for second-chance points on a 32% shooting night.
"We never seemed to get a great rhythm in the game," Drew said with a nod to Eastern New Mexico's switching defense. "Credit them for not letting us get in a rhythm. I thought we'd shoot the ball better, and I thought we'd rebound better. We've got to take care of the ball."
The Lopes committed 14 turnovers but finished the half under control to build a 44-26 halftime lead to 44-26 after a Williams 3. Last season's WAC Freshman of the Year showed how he can be a change of pace off the bench with his dribble bursts that are even more dangerous with the idea of his pure outside touch in defenders' minds.
"The energy was amazing," said Williams, who played once at GCU last season for UT Arlington. "We played our hearts out. We played good. We can get better in some aspects, but I love this crowd. I love GCU right now."
Coles unveiled his cunning bag of tricks by using his body for inside scores, showing an arsenal of various mid-range shots and flicking a 3-point touch that was good for 42% accuracy last season.
"He's proven and he knows what good shots are," Drew said of Coles. "He knows how to play within a system. He's played on three straight NCAA at-large teams, so we trust him. You think he's going to make it every time he shoots it."
GCU junior center Duke Brennan fouled out in 22 minutes but was efficient and aggressive in his court time with 12 points and eight rebounds. The score's expanding margin allowed Drew to go deep into the rotation, playing freshmen Austin Maurer, Styles Phipps and Sammie Yeanay a total of 33 minutes and clearing the bench with freshman Braylon Johnson and early Havocs favorite Jason Amador at the end.
Maurer, a 7-footer, connected on a late 3-pointer and Phipps, the Valley product, displayed the confident tempo that makes him a rotation option at point guard.
"He plays with such great pace," Drew said of Phipps. "He pushes the ball. He pressures the ball on defense. He's fearless going to the glass to rebound. He's a guy who can definitely shift the momentum in a game. We love what he brings to this team, and there's definitely going to be a place for him to make an impact."
GCU opens the regular season Monday night against Cal State Fullerton at Global Credit Union, starting a slate that follows up with Conference USA Tournament champion Western Kentucky and a downtown Phoenix duel with Arizona State.
"Everyone wanted to play a little bit better than what we did," said sophomore guard Caleb Shaw, who scored 12 points after redshirting last season when he transferred from Northern Colorado. "First game, you're a little rusty. It's going to be a fun practice tomorrow.
"We just got to bring it all together, work together, keep growing together and learn how each other play. The sky's the limit. I think we have one of the best teams in the country."
The unknown about these Lopes was what the newcomers could do to ascend a program that already broke through with an NCAA tournament win in March.
GCU newcomers JaKobe Coles and Makaih Williams provided answers Tuesday night, leading the Lopes offense in an 87-57 tune-up victory that revved up a Global Credit Union Arena overflow crowd of 7,244 fans for the regular season.
"It's a testament to the team and the culture that they provided for us coming here," Coles said.
Coles unveiled his multi-weapon arsenal to Lopes fans, racking up 19 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots and a steal in 24 minutes of savvy and skill.
The 6-foot-8 senior forward, who transferred to GCU after playing for three NCAA tournament teams at TCU, hit 3 of 5 shots from 3-point range and wasn't even the best new Lopes shooter Tuesday night.
Williams went 4 for 4 from 3-point range and 7 for 7 overall, even if senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster, who sat out Tuesday night, interrupted his postgame TV interview to remind him that it was not a perfect shooting night because of a missed free throw.Williams, a starter last season at UT Arlington, adapted to his GCU sixth man role in a hurry for 18 points in 22 minutes that showed his speed and shooting touch.
The brand of basketball has become familiar to the newcomers after practicing at GCU since the summer, but a raucous environment for an exhibition game is unique, especially with Havocs in Halloween costumes after camping outside the arena Monday night for prime seats.
"It's electric," Coles said. "It gets your juices flowing and excited for the game. It gives you a reason to wake up and want to come play basketball. When I was a kid, I dreamed of moments like this playing in front of a bunch of good fans."
GCU head coach Bryce Drew said the Lopes did not play as well as they performed in a private scrimmage against No. 8 Baylor in Fort Worth, but their propensity to get to the free throw line carried over from last season's team. The Lopes made 24 of 31 (77%) free throws to make up for Coles' and Williams' teammates going 2 for 19 on 3s.The Lopes led 18-5 early, but Eastern New Mexico hung within single digits for much of the first half. The Greyhounds, an NCAA Division II tournament qualifier with 22 wins last season, grabbed 10 offensive rebounds but failed to capitalize for second-chance points on a 32% shooting night.
"We never seemed to get a great rhythm in the game," Drew said with a nod to Eastern New Mexico's switching defense. "Credit them for not letting us get in a rhythm. I thought we'd shoot the ball better, and I thought we'd rebound better. We've got to take care of the ball."
The Lopes committed 14 turnovers but finished the half under control to build a 44-26 halftime lead to 44-26 after a Williams 3. Last season's WAC Freshman of the Year showed how he can be a change of pace off the bench with his dribble bursts that are even more dangerous with the idea of his pure outside touch in defenders' minds."The energy was amazing," said Williams, who played once at GCU last season for UT Arlington. "We played our hearts out. We played good. We can get better in some aspects, but I love this crowd. I love GCU right now."
Coles unveiled his cunning bag of tricks by using his body for inside scores, showing an arsenal of various mid-range shots and flicking a 3-point touch that was good for 42% accuracy last season.
"He's proven and he knows what good shots are," Drew said of Coles. "He knows how to play within a system. He's played on three straight NCAA at-large teams, so we trust him. You think he's going to make it every time he shoots it."
GCU junior center Duke Brennan fouled out in 22 minutes but was efficient and aggressive in his court time with 12 points and eight rebounds. The score's expanding margin allowed Drew to go deep into the rotation, playing freshmen Austin Maurer, Styles Phipps and Sammie Yeanay a total of 33 minutes and clearing the bench with freshman Braylon Johnson and early Havocs favorite Jason Amador at the end.Maurer, a 7-footer, connected on a late 3-pointer and Phipps, the Valley product, displayed the confident tempo that makes him a rotation option at point guard.
"He plays with such great pace," Drew said of Phipps. "He pushes the ball. He pressures the ball on defense. He's fearless going to the glass to rebound. He's a guy who can definitely shift the momentum in a game. We love what he brings to this team, and there's definitely going to be a place for him to make an impact."
GCU opens the regular season Monday night against Cal State Fullerton at Global Credit Union, starting a slate that follows up with Conference USA Tournament champion Western Kentucky and a downtown Phoenix duel with Arizona State.
"Everyone wanted to play a little bit better than what we did," said sophomore guard Caleb Shaw, who scored 12 points after redshirting last season when he transferred from Northern Colorado. "First game, you're a little rusty. It's going to be a fun practice tomorrow.
"We just got to bring it all together, work together, keep growing together and learn how each other play. The sky's the limit. I think we have one of the best teams in the country."
Team Stats
EastNM
GCU
FG%
.324
.422
3FG%
.150
.321
FT%
.533
.774
RB
42
44
TO
20
14
STL
9
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
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