Lopes pursue perfection at home with 3 to go

Saturday, Feb. 17 \| 6 p.m. \| Global Credit Union Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS (14-10, 7-6 WAC)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (22-2, 12-1 WAC)

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Home-themed signs' phrases fit for what Global Credit Union Arena has meant as Grand Canyon's home this season.

Phoenix, AZ Dec. 5, 2023: Grand Canyon recorded the program's first victory against a top-25 opponent by knocking off 25th-ranked San Diego State, the 2023 national runner-up, with a 79-73 victory Tuesday night at Global Credit Union Arena. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

Phoenix, AZ Dec. 5, 2023: Grand Canyon recorded the program's first victory against a top-25 opponent by knocking off 25th-ranked San Diego State, the 2023 national runner-up, with a 79-73 victory Tuesday night at Global Credit Union Arena. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

Home is where the Lopes are loved. Home is GCU's happy place. There is no place like home, if you have Havocs, sold-out crowds and no losses.

A large contributor to the Lopes' 23-2 record, which leads the nation with No. 1 UConn and No. 2 Purdue, is their 13-0 home mark with three remaining home games, including a 6 p.m. Saturday game against California Baptist.

The Biggest Party in College Basketball has been a season-long celebration of better basketball. With sellout crowds loading the 7,000-seat arena each game, the Lopes have a chance for the program's first undefeated home season since the 1991-92 team did it in Division II at 500-seat North Gym, which is now a lecture hall.

"They give us great support, obviously," GCU head coach Bryce Drew said. "They give us great energy when we need it. We're going to need them like crazy the last three home games that we have starting on Saturday. Hopefully, they get rested up after (Thursday night's win) and all the energy they gave, and we can get them back on Saturday with the same energy."

Only Samford (15-0) and Iowa State (14-0) have more home wins without a loss this season than GCU.

The Lopes benefit from the comforts of home with their 3-point shooting, which is at a 38.6% clip at Global Credit Union Arena and 30.6% in road games.

Josh Baker

GCU's average scoring margin goes from plus-8.5 points in road games to plus-15.2 points in home games.

"At the beginning of the season, we all set out goals and one was obviously winning a conference championship and another was protecting our home floor," GCU senior guard Josh Baker said. "I'm from here, born and raised, so I never want to lose in my hometown, and I know my guys feel the exact same way."

The crowd has guided the Lopes through double-digit comebacks, a vengeance opportunity against Seattle U and a nationally televised, courtstorming upset scene against then-No. 25 San Diego State.

Saturday night's visitor, California Baptist, is the only WAC team that GCU has not played this season. The Lancers have not been at GCU since last season's WAC opener in December 2022, when the Lopes won 73-59 by not allowing the Lancers to make a shot for the final five-plus minutes.

Opponents are shooting 41.6% at GCU this season and just 39.2% over January and February visits.

"People don't like to play here," GCU sophomore center Duke Brennan said. "it's amazing when they come here, and we have so much energy. They get shaky, and it's good for us. Hopefully, we can end the year undefeated. I love GCU and the people who support us."

Lope tracks

GCU leads the WAC with a two-game edge over second-place Tarleton State, where it plays Thursday night. The Texans are idle Saturday night. The Lopes won the teams' first meeting at GCU.
In the all-time series, GCU leads California Baptist 64-11 with a 7-3 record in the teams' Division I eras.
Saturday's game could be a duel of the WAC's leading scorers, California Baptist guard Dominique Daniels Jr. (19.2 points per game) and GCU guard Tyon Grant-Foster (18.9). But Daniels has not played in the past three games for an unspecified reason.
Graduate point guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. needs 11 points to pass Chad Briscoe for seventh place on the program's all-time scoring list.
Graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan passed DeWayne Russell for 11th place on the program's all-time scoring list on Thursday night.
Harrison ranks 15th nationally for career scoring average (16.6) among active Division I players.
McGlothan ranks 13th among active Division I players for career rebounds (985).
The Lopes' 14-game winning streak from Nov. 25 to Jan. 18 is tied for the third-longest in the nation this season. It was the Lopes' longest winning streak since 1978-79.
The Lopes rank in the national top 25 for free throws made per game (fourth, 19.2), blocks per game (15th, 5.3), scoring margin (15th, plus-13.4 per game) and rebounding margin (21st, plus-7.0 per game).
California Baptist ranks 33rd nationally for least points allowed per game (65.3) despite having the eight-lowest steals average in the nation (4.3 per game).
The Lancers ranks 52nd nationally in rebounding margin (plus-4.8 per game).
CBU has two of the WAC's three leading rebounders in Hunter Goodrick (9.0 per game) and former Lopes center Yvan Ouedraogo (8.4 per game).
Ouedraogo, a fifth-year graduate transfer, is averaging career highs for points per game (9,8), rebounds per game (8.4), minutes per game (28.3), blocks per game (1.0) and field goal percentage (49.7%).

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Feb. 16)
Rank	Team	Record (WAC only)	WAC points
1.	GCU	23-2 (13-1)	8.13
2.	Tarleton State	18-7 (11-3)	2.76
3.	Seattle U	15-10 (8-6)	0.56
4.	Stephen F. Austin	14-10 (7-6)	-0.78
5.	UT Arlington	12-13 (7-7)	-1.41
6.	California Baptist	14-10 (7-6)	-1.97
7.	Utah Valley	11-14 (6-8)	-2.21
8.	Utah Tech	10-15 (6-8)	-3.83
9.	Abilene Christian	9-15 (4-9)	-4.71
10.	Southern Utah	9-16 (4-10)	-5.27
11.	UT Rio Grande Valley	6-18 (2-11)	-8.22

The WAC Resume Seeding System will determine seeding for the eight-team WAC Tournament. The top two seeds will receive first- and second-round byes. The third and fourth seeds will receive first-round byes.

Saturday, Feb. 17 | 6 p.m. | Global Credit Union Arena | Phoenix, Ariz.

Lope tracks

WAC Resume Seeding System (updated Feb. 16)

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Players Mentioned

Josh Baker

Jovan Blacksher Jr.

Duke Brennan

Tyon Grant-Foster

Gabe McGlothan

Yvan Ouedraogo

Grand Canyon University Athletics