Wildcats knock off Lopes in final minute

Saturday, February 24

Abilene, Texas

2 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

24-4,14-3WAC

Abilene Christian

12-15,7-9WAC

Grand Canyon

Abilene Christian

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

2/24/2024 6:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

Abilene Christian uses 36 free throws, 16 offensive rebouds for home upset

By: Paul Coro

ABILENE, Texas – Leaving Texas without a win left the Lopes feeling like victory was given away and taken away.

GCU gave away chances to win Saturday by allowing Abilene Christian to get 16 offensive rebounds that continually negated the Lopes' defensive stops. GCU had the opportunity to win taken away by 36 Wildcats free throws.

But even after playing from behind most of the game, the Lopes led 73-71 with a minute to go at Moody Coliseum before a desperate Wildcats team finished with eight unanswered points.

Abilene Christian (12-15, 7-9 WAC) needed its fourth consecutive win to stay in position for the WAC Tournament's eighth and final spot, but the outcome cost GCU control of its own destiny for an outright WAC regular-season championship.

With the Lopes' first consecutive losses since January 2023, Tarleton State (20-7, 13-3 WAC) pulled even with GCU (24-4, 14-3 WAC) in the conference standings' loss column by blowing out California Baptist 82-65 on Saturday.

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : GCU drops their second consecutive game 79-73 to Abilene Christian at Moody Arena in Abilene, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : GCU drops their second consecutive game 79-73 to Abilene Christian at Moody Arena in Abilene, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

After the two highest opponent free throw totals of GCU's season in successive road losses (40 at Tarleton State on Thursday and 36 at Abilene Christian on Saturday), Lopes head coach Bryce Drew was pointed with his postgame frustration.

GCU, which ranked fifth nationally in free throws per game, averaged 17.5 fewer free throw attempts in the two losses.

"I'm just going to be very honest," said Drew, who received a technical foul in the game. "The rules in Texas are different than the rules in Arizona. We teach a certain style of how to play defense. We teach guys how to not keep your hands on a guy the whole time. It seemed like you could have your hands on in Texas, but if we barely touched or did something, it was a foul on us."

GCU and Tennessee State are the only teams with winning records this season to have opponents attempt at least 36 free throws in consecutive regulation-length games.

"It's just not fair," Drew said. "I'm going to stand up for our players."

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : GCU drops their second consecutive game 79-73 to Abilene Christian at Moody Arena in Abilene, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

GCU's Duke Brennan (16 minutes) and Lök Wur (24 minutes) each fouled out for a second consecutive game, but the Lopes still took a 71-69 lead with one minute to go when senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster drove for the last of his team-high 17 points.

Abilene Christian took the lead back quickly when guard Kavion McClain, who had been 11 for 39 on 3-pointers this season, made a go-ahead 3 with 50 seconds remaining. The play was designed for guard Ali Abdou Dibba, but the GCU defense collapsed and Dibba assisted to McClain.

GCU did not score again, missing a Grant-Foster jumper and a 3-point shot and drive attempt by junior guard Ray Harrison.

The Wildcats made 5 of 6 free throws to close out the win, which was highlighted by a driving scorer dominating the Lopes for a second consecutive game. After Tarleton State guard Devon Barnes scored all 22 of his points in the second half Thursday, Dibba scored 16 of his game-high 24 points in the second half Saturday.

"We have to defend the ball better," Drew said. "We had too many long rebounds that we didn't get, too many loose balls that we didn't get. Those things, we have to be able to do down the stretch in these last three games."

GCU was 18-0 this season when shooting 44% from the field or better until Saturday, when the Lopes shot 49% and lost in front of a crowd of 1,669 fans.

"We just felt like we needed this one to get to the conference tournament, so it's a big one for us," Dibba told ESPN+. "I felt good. My teammates found me and they got me some good passes so I could score some easy buckets."

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : GCU drops their second consecutive game 79-73 to Abilene Christian at Moody Arena in Abilene, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

The Lopes trailed 38-34 at halftime with no points and one rebound from graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan. But while he played a major role in keeping Abilene Christian power forward Airion Simmons to 2-for-14 shooting, McGlothan scored 15 second-half points with a pair of 3-pointers, five free throws, post-up and a turnaround.

GCU had one assist in the first half and got closer to the mean with five second-half assists.

At their best, the Lopes went on a 13-4 run in the second half when the foul calls decreased and the pace increased. It gave GCU its largest lead of the game at 64-59 with 7:10 to go on a McGlothan 3-pointer.

Stephenville, TX Feb.120 2024 : GCU drops their second consecutive game 79-73 to Abilene Christian at Moody Arena in Abilene, Texas. David Kadlubowski/GCU

After that, the Lopes went 3 for 11 over the final seven minutes. GCU nearly did not make a turnover in the final 16 minutes of the game, but Abilene Christian guard Hunter Jack Madden made his third steal when Grant-Foster had rebounded a free throw miss with GCU leading 71-69.

Instead of the chance to take a two-possession lead, Madden was fouled and made two free throws to tie the game at 71-71 after it had been tied at 65-65, 67-67 and 69-69.

"We have a lot of guys that want to just go win the game," Drew said. "The great of being a team is coming together and balancing when it's your time and how it's your time. We took some shots at the end that weren't exactly what we wanted in the huddle."

GCU will return home to play UT Rio Grande Valley on Thursday night before an ESPNU game against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night, which also will be Senior Night. The Lopes will then go a week before playing their regular-season finale at California Baptist.

Tarleton State's remaining schedule includes a road trip to Utah Tech and Southern Utah before a season-ending homestand against Utah Valley and Seattle U.

"You hate to lose," Drew said. "There's no question, but very rarely do you make it through a season with no adversity. This is good for us. We needed the adversity. The team that we were two weeks ago does not win the conference tournament. We'll see how we respond from this."

Abilene Christian's 16 offensive rebounds were the most that the Lopes had allowed this season. The Wildcats only shot 38% from the field, but the second chances helped Abilene Christian have nine more field goal attempts and 12 more free throws.

"We had to win the rebound battle and I didn't know if we could do it against these guys," Wildcats head coach Brette Tanner said on acusports.com. "We had 16 offensive rebounds, and that's against this team. That's the best part of their identity and we flipped that."