Record-hot offense scores 8th consecutive win

Thursday, December 19

Phoenix, Ariz.

2:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

10-2,0-0WAC

Florida Atlantic

7-5,0-0AAC

Fla. Atlantic

Grand Canyon

12/19/2024 6:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Erikstrup logs 2nd double-double in 2 days as Lopes make 14 3-pointers

By: Paul Coro

Beautiful basketball can be assists, like how Grand Canyon tied its season high with 25 on Thursday as it kicked the ball inside-out and made Florida Atlantic's heads spins with swing and cross-court passes.

It can be watching players hit peaks, like graduate forward Laura Erikstrup dominating in the best run of her career, senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas using her sharpshooting like never before and graduate forward Tiarra Brown popping with plays that change games.

But it is best said in wins, which GCU is doing as much as ever. The Lopes defeated the Owls 81-60 for their eight consecutive win, matching the program's longest winning streak of its Division I era.

Also for the first time in its 12-year D-I era, GCU (10-2) scored at least 80 points in three consecutive games.

"The ball doesn't get stuck when you have five capable players on the court because there's not an emphasis to isolate one player or another," Lopes head coach Molly Miller said. "That helps our ball movement. In all reality, the focus we had in a 24-hour turnaround was really locked in. Their energy was really good coming out from the tip. That first 20 minutes was some of the best better basketball we've played. It's nice to build on that."

Durazo-Frescas and Erikstrup

Erikstrup and Durazo-Frescas got GCU started with eight first-quarter points apiece to build a 20-12 lead, as they each continue scoring tears.

Erikstrup crashed for a pair of follow scores on the way to her second straight day with a double-double after having two in her five-year career previously. The 6-foot-2 forward tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds while tying her career high with four steals.

After previously never scoring in double digits for more than two games in a row, Erikstrup recorded her eighth consecutive double-digit scoring game Thursday with GCU flexing four double-digit scorers for the fourth consecutive game.

Erikstrup is averaging 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals during this eight-game stretch with 67% shooting. In two seasons with GCU, Erikstrup has made 59% of her shots after shooting 46% in three seasons at San Diego.

"It's just having the opportunity and I feel like I go out there to help this team any way I can," Erikstrup said. "It seems to be working out right now. I credit to the people who support me, (assistant coach) Ashleigh (Lopez) and my teammates who put me in this position. It's fun to be out there with everyone. We have lethal shooters."

Alyssa Durazo-Frescas

Durazo-Frescas fired a career-high 15 attempts from 3-point range, sinking five to put her season 3-point percentage at 45.5% with the second-most made 3-pointers (45) in the nation this season. The 5-foot-7 guard already has more games of 22 points or more at GCU (three) than she did in three seasons at UNLV (two).

With six 3-pointers to help GCU tie its season high of 14 made 3s, Durazo-Frescas keeps toying with breaking the record for 3-pointers in a game (eight) set by Tiarra Brown's sister, Tianna.

"I'm not going to force anything," Durazo-Frescas said. "If it happens, it's God's will. My teammates really look for me. They really want me to get it, and that fuels me up to want to get it even more."

Durazo-Frescas scored 16 of her 22 points Thursday in the first half, but it was senior guard Trinity San Antonio and Tiarra Brown each scoring back-to-back hoops for a 9-0 run that ended the half. Senior point guard Callie Cooper found Brown for a 3-pointer at the buzzer that put GCU ahead 39-25, and the lead remained in double digits in the second half.

Brown finished with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

"Tiarra needs to bring that every day because she made us better from the tip," Miller said. "She was headsy. She was in a stance. She didn't too much or too little. She did exactly what the team needs her to do. That's a vet."

In moving to 8-0 at home, GCU thrived offensively despite getting only two free throws. The Lopes still rattled the Owls (6-5) into 19 turnovers.

GCU will finish hosting the Have Fayth Christmas Classic at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Georgia Southern (7-4), which beat Wright State 88-82 in Thursday's first game despite trailing by 18 points in the third quarter.

"We're going to get everyone's A game," Erikstrup said. "Now we know we can't be on our B or C game. We have to find the energy within ourselves and sustained energy. We have three games in four days. It's good practice for when we go to the WAC Tournament, Keep stacking good days."