Road play begins Friday vs. tough Middle Tennessee

Friday, November 8

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

5:30 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Middle Tennessee

11/7/2024 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

GCU plays team coming off 30-5 season in 1st of 2 C-USA/WAC initiative games

By: Nick Macdonald

Friday, Nov. 8 \| 5:30 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Murphy Center \| Murfreesboro, Tenn.

	(RV) MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS (1-0)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (1-0)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK

THIS GAME

GCU heads on the road for the first time this season and faces Middle Tennessee in the first of two C-USA/WAC initiative games.
The game is a rematch of last year's contest in Phoenix. GCU prevailed 68-59 to give Middle Tennessee its fourth and final regular-season loss of the season. The Blue Raiders went 20-1 for the rest of the season 20-1 after losing to the Lopes.
Middle Tennessee enters the game receiving votes (three points) in the AP Top 25 poll. GCU has not faced a team receiving votes in the AP poll since it played No. 12 Duke at home on Nov. 12, 2017.

STORYLINES

GCU began the season with a 93-52 victory over CSU Bakersfield at home Monday night. The 93 points were the Lopes' most in a game since its season opener on Nov. 7, 2022 vs. Arizona Christian (115).
The Lopes shot 54% from 3-point range, knocking down 14 3s, including nine in the first half. The 14 3s tied for eighth most in the nation after Monday's season-opening games and was the most for the Lopes since Nov. 7, 2022, vs. Arizona Christian.
Headlining the Lopes' returnees is senior guard Trinity San Antonio, the WAC Preseason Player of the Year. San Antonio is coming off a campaign in which she averaged 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Her 63 steals led the squad, earning her All-WAC Defensive Team honors.
For a team that ranked 40th in the nation and first in the WAC for field goal percentage last season, leading shooter Laura Erikstrup returns for her final year after leading GCU with a 60% FG clip. Erikstrup averaged 6.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game off the bench and earned WAC Sixth Woman of the Year honors a season ago.
GCU held CSU Bakersfield to 0-of-17 shooting from 3-point range Monday, marking the first time a GCU opponent did not make a 3 with at least 10 attempts since Jan. 10, 2019.
The Lopes were picked to finish first in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll, earning four first-place votes and 59 points. The Lopes were the only team to have two players listed on the All-WAC Preseason Team, as Tiarra Brown and Trinity San Antonio received the accolade.
San Antonio is nearing a major milestone, entering Friday's matchup 22 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Brown and Nneka Obiazor achieved the feat last season, with San Antonio soon to be the third player player on the roster with 1,000-plus career points.
Senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas was one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation last season, ranking seventh in 3-point percentage (44.4%) and third in the Mountain West for 3-pointers made (72) and 3-pointers per game (2.2). Durazo-Frescas has scored at least 245 points in each of her three seasons. The senior made three 3s in the season opener Monday.
GCU head coach Molly Miller ranks fifth among active coaches in winning percentage (.836) with at least nine-plus seasons of coaching. She trails only Geno Auriemma (UConn), Kim Caldwell (Tennessee), Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Jeff Hans (Northern Kentucky).
The Lopes are 51-12 at Global Credit Union Arena since Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU has won at least 12 home games in each of her three seasons in Phoenix and tied the Division I-era record for most home wins in a season (13) on Feb. 24, 2024.

LAST TIME THEY MET

The Lopes and Blue Raiders met for the first time in program history Dec. 30, 2023, in Phoenix. GCU prevailed 68-59 to give Middle Tennessee its fourth and final regular-season loss of the 2023-24 campaign.
Since that game, Middle Tennessee is 21-1 with its only loss coming to LSU in the NCAA tournament second round.
San Antonio had 11 points, six rebounds and four steals while Brown also had 11 points with five boards and four assists. GCU shot 41% compared to Middle Tennessee's 25% from 3-point range. The Blue Raiders committed 16 turnovers to GCU's nine.

SCOUTING THE BLUE RAIDERS

Coming off a Conference USA championship and a second-round run in the NCAA tournament, Middle Tennessee is 1-0 to begin the season after a 79-58 victory at Northern Kentucky on Monday.
Friday's matchup is the first in Murfreesboro for the Blue Raiders this season. Middle Tennessee is 42-2 at home since the 2021-22 season.
Ta'Mia Scott recorded 24 points and six rebounds while going 10 of 13 from the field Monday. Four Blue Raiders scored in double figures, with the team shooting 42% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU returns to Phoenix to play a neutral-site contest against Arizona State in the Hall of Fame Series at the Footprint Center Thursday, Nov. 14, at 4:30 p.m. It is part of a GCU-ASU women's/men's doubleheader.
It is the third consecutive season that the Lopes and Sun Devils will meet, with the series tied 1-1.