Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Wyoming on December 20, 2025 , Win , 82, to, 70
M Basketball
at Wyoming
W 82-70
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Rapid recap: Louisiana Tech 74, GCU 66
12/16/2024 8:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Conference USA favorite holds off late Lopes rally
RUSTON, La. – A Grand Canyon rally came up short for the second time on the road trip Monday night when the Lopes whittled a 13-point, second-half deficit to two before falling 74-66 at Conference USA favorite Louisiana Tech.
The Lopes (6-4) had chances in crunchtime to tie or lead, just as they did against Georgia in Atlanta on Saturday night. But with a fourth consecutive game of sub-30% 3-point shooting, GCU could not withstand a career game from junior point guard Sean Newman Jr. He scored a career-high 25 points and added nine assists, matching his average that ranks second in the nation.
GCU put Louisiana Tech star center Daniel Batcho, the nation's field goal percentage leader, in first-half foul trouble to rally from a double-digit deficit in the first half, but Batchlo's 6-foot-11 presence in the second half impacted both ends. Batcho finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots to be a plus-20 in 25 minutes.
GCU senior forward JaKobe Coles scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 34 minutes. Coles' final points on two free throws cut the lead to 68-66 with 2:13 to go.
Return to GCULopes.com later tonight for Paul Coro's updated game recap with more details.
The Lopes (6-4) had chances in crunchtime to tie or lead, just as they did against Georgia in Atlanta on Saturday night. But with a fourth consecutive game of sub-30% 3-point shooting, GCU could not withstand a career game from junior point guard Sean Newman Jr. He scored a career-high 25 points and added nine assists, matching his average that ranks second in the nation.
GCU put Louisiana Tech star center Daniel Batcho, the nation's field goal percentage leader, in first-half foul trouble to rally from a double-digit deficit in the first half, but Batchlo's 6-foot-11 presence in the second half impacted both ends. Batcho finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots to be a plus-20 in 25 minutes.
Key player
GCU senior forward JaKobe Coles scored 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added five rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in 34 minutes. Coles' final points on two free throws cut the lead to 68-66 with 2:13 to go.
Key moment
Louisiana Tech led 59-46, its largest lead, with 7:51 remaining to go before a 20-9 run over 5 1/2 minutes took the Bulldogs lead to 68-66. The margin was as narrow as one (65-64) along the way. Senior swingman Tyon Grant-Foster made a steal and the GCU bench called a timeout, but the Lopes ended the game with four consecutive 3-point misses. Newman scored on a drive, dished for a slam and made two free throws to finish off the win for Louisiana Tech (10-2).Key statistic
Grant-Foster and Harrison, the Preseason All-WAC selections, went 2 for 18 combined from the field, including 1 for 12 on 3-pointers, and had six of the team's 12 turnovers. .Quotable
Lopes head coach Bryce Drew: "Our guys have to respond. When teams bring their best at us, you have to bring your best back to win. I thought we had a lot of guys bring great effort and great intensity and had a will to win. Unfortunately, we came up short,"What's next?
GCU plays Chicago State at 7 p.m. Thursday in Global Credit Union Arena, where they will also play Saint Louis at 2 p.m. Sunday.Return to GCULopes.com later tonight for Paul Coro's updated game recap with more details.
Players Mentioned
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