Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at #2 South Carolina on November 3, 2025 at 4 p.m. (MST)
W Basketball
4 p.m. (MST)
at #2 South Carolina
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, November 30
Phoenix, Ariz.
2:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
5-2,0-0WAC
110
vs
71
East Texas A&M
3-5,0-0Southland
1
2
3
4
F
East Texas A&M
23
13
15
20
71
Grand Canyon
34
17
35
24
110
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Record shooting piles up 110-point game
11/30/2024 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes get roster full of standout performances to cap 3-0 week
Amid three games in four days, the Grand Canyon women's basketball team gathered Wednesday at head coach Molly Miller's house for a Thanksgiving feast.
And then all the Lopes ate again Saturday. The Lopes served enough points and success for everyone to fill up in routing East Texas A&M 110-71 with program-record shooting at Global Credit Union Arena.
GCU set an all-time field goal percentage record of 63.2% and posted a pair of 30-plus scoring quarters in a game for the first time since the four-quarter setup began in 2015.
Sixteen other programs have scored 110 points this season against a Division I opponent, but only one (Oklahoma State) did it with fewer free throws made than the Lopes' 11 on Thursday. GCU (5-2) finish a 3-0 week with an average victory margin of 26.3 points.
"Six players in double figures and everyone is a weapon out there," Miller said. "That makes us pretty hard to guard. And then when everyone is feeling it, we're really hard to guard. It's nice to put players in position for them to be successful."
Name a Lopes and she had a special day to help GCU (5-2) score 34 points in the first quarter and 35 in the third quarter, the Lopes' most since a 2023 WAC Tournament game against Seattle U. The GCU standouts included:
Cooper's passing feat came three days after San Antonio dished out 17 assists in Wednesday's win to set a GCU all-time record, tie the WAC all-time mark and set an NCAA season high by four assists. In Stathead's database dating back to 2002-03, Cooper is the first player in the nation to record at least 11 assists without a turnover in 18 minutes or fewer against a Division I opponent.
"Honestly, I just like to get my teammates involved," Cooper said. "It feels better whenever I can see them cheering, especially the ones who don't score as much.
"Those are the best games when everyone gets involved. That way, when we play a team that is higher caliber, we can take advantage of our subs and have confidence that they can get hit shots. It gives them confidence too."
After making its first six fourth-quarter shots with four consecutive 3s included, GCU already had surpassed 100 points and was shooting 72% from the field for the game.
Overall, the Lopes shot 48% from 3-point range (13 for 27) with Obiazor going 3 for 4 to follow up the sharpshooting of Durazo-Frescas, who has connected on 50% of 3s this season. GCU also pounded the paint and the post, where Ghaifan made 6 of 8 shots and graduate forward Laura Erikstrup went 5 for 7.
Miller said Ghaifan's practice performance has been hinting at a breakthrough game and that the 6-foot Omaha transfer is "a bright light for the future of the program and an X-factor for us."
"Coming off the bench, my team already hypes me up," Ghaifan said. "For them to trust me and have the feeling that they do for me makes me feel good and confident on the court.
"(Miller) has a lot of trust in me. For me to put me on the court means a lot to me."
The first-half scoring of San Antonio (16 of her 18) and Durazo-Frescas (14 of her 20) sent GCU on the way to a blowout with a 51-36 halftime lead.
East Texas A&M (3-5) survived GCU's 34-point first quarter with 23 points to stay in range, but the Lopes scored on 10 consecutive possessions to open the second half in devastating fashion.
After scoring just one fastbreak basket in the first half, the Lopes kicked up the tempo with a pair of Cooper steals and a Brown steal that helped double the halftime lead to 72-42 in less than five minutes.
The Lopes came at the Lions in a 12-player wave that made them look tireless in a third game over four days. Only two other teams have topped GCU's 63.2% shooting against a Division I opponent this season.
"You've got to believe whatever you tell yourself," Miller said. "In this instance, you have to tell yourself that you're going to have a lot of perseverance and toughness when you play this many games in a short turnaround. It's nice to replicate that in November. We'll replicate it one more time in our Christmas tournament and then hopefully replicate it in March."
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And then all the Lopes ate again Saturday. The Lopes served enough points and success for everyone to fill up in routing East Texas A&M 110-71 with program-record shooting at Global Credit Union Arena.
GCU set an all-time field goal percentage record of 63.2% and posted a pair of 30-plus scoring quarters in a game for the first time since the four-quarter setup began in 2015.
Sixteen other programs have scored 110 points this season against a Division I opponent, but only one (Oklahoma State) did it with fewer free throws made than the Lopes' 11 on Thursday. GCU (5-2) finish a 3-0 week with an average victory margin of 26.3 points.
"Six players in double figures and everyone is a weapon out there," Miller said. "That makes us pretty hard to guard. And then when everyone is feeling it, we're really hard to guard. It's nice to put players in position for them to be successful."
Name a Lopes and she had a special day to help GCU (5-2) score 34 points in the first quarter and 35 in the third quarter, the Lopes' most since a 2023 WAC Tournament game against Seattle U. The GCU standouts included:
- Senior point guard Callie Cooper delivered a career-high 11 assists without a turnover. Only two other players in the nation (Boston College's Kaylah Ivey and Campbell's Audrey Fuller) have had that many assists without a turnover this season.
- Sophomore power forward Lucy Ghaifan scored a career-high tying 14 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. Only six other players in the nation have posted 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists in less than 20 minutes off the bench this season.
- Graduate forward Tiarra Brown matched her most shots without a miss (six) in her career and posted her 18th career game of four steals or more.
- Senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas enjoyed her second 20-point game in a six-game GCU career after having four 20-point games in three UNLV seasons. Her five 3-pointers were one shy of her season high.
- Graduate forward Nneka Obiazor tallied 15 points and seven rebounds to be only the fourth player nationally to reach those numbers this season against a Division I opponent in 14 minutes or fewer.
- Junior guard Trinity San Antonio scored 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, matching a career high for shooting percentage with at least 10 attempts.
Cooper's passing feat came three days after San Antonio dished out 17 assists in Wednesday's win to set a GCU all-time record, tie the WAC all-time mark and set an NCAA season high by four assists. In Stathead's database dating back to 2002-03, Cooper is the first player in the nation to record at least 11 assists without a turnover in 18 minutes or fewer against a Division I opponent."Honestly, I just like to get my teammates involved," Cooper said. "It feels better whenever I can see them cheering, especially the ones who don't score as much.
"Those are the best games when everyone gets involved. That way, when we play a team that is higher caliber, we can take advantage of our subs and have confidence that they can get hit shots. It gives them confidence too."
After making its first six fourth-quarter shots with four consecutive 3s included, GCU already had surpassed 100 points and was shooting 72% from the field for the game.
Overall, the Lopes shot 48% from 3-point range (13 for 27) with Obiazor going 3 for 4 to follow up the sharpshooting of Durazo-Frescas, who has connected on 50% of 3s this season. GCU also pounded the paint and the post, where Ghaifan made 6 of 8 shots and graduate forward Laura Erikstrup went 5 for 7.
Miller said Ghaifan's practice performance has been hinting at a breakthrough game and that the 6-foot Omaha transfer is "a bright light for the future of the program and an X-factor for us.""Coming off the bench, my team already hypes me up," Ghaifan said. "For them to trust me and have the feeling that they do for me makes me feel good and confident on the court.
"(Miller) has a lot of trust in me. For me to put me on the court means a lot to me."
The first-half scoring of San Antonio (16 of her 18) and Durazo-Frescas (14 of her 20) sent GCU on the way to a blowout with a 51-36 halftime lead.
East Texas A&M (3-5) survived GCU's 34-point first quarter with 23 points to stay in range, but the Lopes scored on 10 consecutive possessions to open the second half in devastating fashion.
After scoring just one fastbreak basket in the first half, the Lopes kicked up the tempo with a pair of Cooper steals and a Brown steal that helped double the halftime lead to 72-42 in less than five minutes.The Lopes came at the Lions in a 12-player wave that made them look tireless in a third game over four days. Only two other teams have topped GCU's 63.2% shooting against a Division I opponent this season.
"You've got to believe whatever you tell yourself," Miller said. "In this instance, you have to tell yourself that you're going to have a lot of perseverance and toughness when you play this many games in a short turnaround. It's nice to replicate that in November. We'll replicate it one more time in our Christmas tournament and then hopefully replicate it in March."
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Team Stats
ETAMU
GCU
FG%
.431
.632
3FG%
.304
.481
FT%
.778
.733
RB
23
38
TO
14
10
STL
7
12
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
3
Pts
18
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
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