GCU falls in hard-fought battle in Riverside

Saturday, February 17

Riverside, Calif.

2 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

21-5,13-2WAC

California Baptist

20-3,12-2WAC

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

2/17/2024 5:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Lopes climb back from early deficit in back-and-forth battle at CBU

By: Nick Macdonald

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – In a matchup between the top two teams in the WAC, the anticipated showdown led to a back-and-forth battle until Saturday's final buzzer at CBU Events Center. Grand Canyon fell just short to California Baptist, 71-65, snapping its five-game winning streak and taking only its second loss of 2024.

The Lopes (21-5, 13-2 WAC) still hold a half-game lead over the Lancers (20-3, 12-2 WAC) at the top of the conference standings with five regular-season games remaining for GCU and six for CBU.

Lopes senior forward Olivia Lane led all scorers with 22 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double. Lane went 7 of 9 from the free throw line and grabbed four offensive rebounds, bringing her conference-leading total to 88 on the season.

GCU junior guard Trinity San Antonio and senior guard Sydney Palma played at their former school for the first time in their careers and combined for 18 points, four steals and six assists. San Antonio had eight first-half points before sitting the final seven minutes because of foul trouble and fouled out in the fourth quarter with 12 points. Palma, who transferred in 2022 but did play in two GCU-CBU games last season, brought a spark off the bench with six points and four assists in a season-high 24 minutes.

The Lopes began in an unfamiliar situation, trailing 10-0 in the game's first 2 1/2 minutes. They trailed by as much as 14 points twice and ended the first quarter down 24-13 while making 6 of 20 shots, including a 1-of-9 clip from 3-point range.

GCU clawed its way back one possession at a time, leaning on junior guard Naudia Evans' back-to-back 3s midway through the quarter to cut the deficit to 32-26. A combination of tight, on-ball defense and Lane's free throw shooting tied the contest at 34-34. California Baptist ended the half on a 7-0 run as momentum in the building shifted.

From the third quarter on, the back-and-forth affair saw each team matching baskets with two ties and GCU down one possession from the 7:36 point on. The Lopes outscored the Lancers 13-9 for the quarter and trailed 50-47 at the end of three.

California Baptist jumped out to a nine-point lead three minutes into the fourth. GCU's grit on the offensive end maintained, with the deficit as low as three (60-57) after an Evan's three with 4:18 to play. In a game that saw 53 fouls in total, San Antonio notched her fifth with three minutes remaining. Fifth-year Jada Holland and senior Tiarra Brown fouled out with a minute to spare, as the offense fell short off back-to-back missed threes in the final 20 seconds of play.

GCU's defense allowed 71 points, only the third time in 26 games that it has allowed an opposing offense to score 70 or more points on the season. The defense limited Lancers star Chloe Webb, who entered the night as the WAC scoring leader with just over 21 points per contest, to 10 points before fouling out of the game.

GCU will return to action Thursday at home versus Tarleton State.