Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Baylor on October 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. (MST)
M Basketball
2 p.m. (MST)
at Baylor
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, February 3
Orem, Utah
2 p.m.
Grand Canyon
21-2,11-1WAC
86
at
67
Utah Valley
9-13,4-7WAC
1
2
F
Grand Canyon
32
54
86
Utah Valley
23
44
67
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Momentum rolls on road; GCU moves to 21-2
2/3/2024 6:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes turns 0-for-11 start on 3-pointers into 9-for-11 finish
OREM, Utah – Already having 10 wins for each loss, Grand Canyon walked into Utah Valley's UCCU Center on Saturday having just beaten the Wolverines by 13 points two weeks ago.
Complacency is about as much a part of this season's Lopes as fatigue. Playing in its fifth different city in the past five games, GCU asserted its stake to the nation's best record with a hungry, high-effort 86-67 win at Utah Valley that merits a week off until its next game.
The Lopes are 21-2 for the first time in program history and sit securely atop the WAC at 11-1 because its defense was consistently good enough to allow the offense to catch up and run over the Wolverines.
Utah Valley was 23-2 at home over the past two seasons. But even with GCU missing its first 11 shots from 3-point range, the Wolverines never held a lead Saturday.
The Lopes flipped their 3-point shooting to make 9 of their last 11 3s and raced ahead for a 23-7 advantage in fastbreak points. GCU was able to play transition offensive because of a defense that made 10 steals, swatted six shots and held the Wolverines to 37% shooting.
"When you make some shots, it's amazing how it does help your energy, it seems," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "They knew coming in that we had a week until our next game, and they really wanted to give their best effort and give all they had. Guys were gassed out there."
Despite not trailing, GCU was sputtering offensively though the first half until a 9-2 close to the half came off its first three made 3-pointers. Graduate forward Lok Wur hit consecutive 3s and then assisted on a 3 by graduate forward Gabe McGlothan for a 32-23 halftime lead.
After setting his career high against a Division I opponent Thursday night, Wur matched that output with another 13-point game Saturday. The 6-foot-9 Oregon transfer added four rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal in 20 reserve minutes.
"He was so efficient," Drew said of Wur's 5-for-8 shooting. "His 3-point shooting (3 for 4) was tremendous. He had some great drives to the rim. An element he's bringing us also is rim protection. He had a great blocked shot in the first half and his length around the paint really helps our defense."
Wur's play supplements the consistent contributions of GCU's star trio of junior guard Ray Harrison (21 points for the second consecutive game), McGlothan (17 points and 11 rebounds for his 20th career double-double) and junior guard Tyon Grant-Foster (14 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks).
"The arsenal is crazy," Harrison said.
Harrison chased Utah Valley's hot shooter, guard Tanner Toolson, on defense while leading the scoring and not making a turnover in 33 minutes.
"He's been so good in this stretch," Drew said of Harrison. "Scoring the ball but also defending. He had to guard (Cameron) Tyson (of Seattle U on Thursday) and Toolson tonight. It's tiring running around screens, having to go get the ball and then having to make plays at the other end.
"I know all of our guys are looking forward to a break and not having a game on Thursday, but he might be more than anybody after the last couple of weeks and what he's had to do."
The Lopes tied their second-lowest turnover game of the season, allowing them to take eight more shots that the Wolverines in the first half and then outscore them 20-8 on second-half free throws.
"Coach Drew trusts me," Harrison said of his growth at point guard. "Me knowing that my coach trusts me in every situation gives me the utmost confidence to handle the ball and take of it."
GCU went 6 for 6 on 3s in the second half after Drew kept encouraging his shooters through the 0-for-11 start with, "Keep shooting, Shots are going to fall."
Just when Utah Valley had made its last challenge to cut the lead to 48-44 with more than 13 minutes remaining, McGlothan made consecutive 3s to take the lead back to double digits.
When GCU was putting the game away with an 11-2 run moments later, it was Grant-Foster snuffing out Utah Valley chances with two blocked shots, a steal and control of the boards. His nine rebounds marked his highest total since Dec. 2.
"The last seven minutes, he got nearly every defensive rebound," Drew said. "Tyon has a great talent of turning a rebound into getting to the rim on the other end."
Utah Valley was 7-1 at home this season until Saturday but has trouble locating its offense against GCU,
After setting a Lopes opponent low with 25 first-half points in the Jan. 18 loss at GCU, the Wolverines broke that mark by only managing 23 first-half points on Saturday.
"It was a rough second half for us and Grand Canyon did a heck of a job," Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips said. "They went 6 of 6 from 3, and every time they had an open shot, they hit it."
For a team with a 2 1/2-game lead atop the WAC, the Lopes emerged with an expectation of winning even through a stretch of four road stops in five games that stretched GCU from Seattle to East Texas to to Phoenix to Utah.
"We're just thankful for where we're at right now," Harrison said. "Last year, things were a little bit different at this time. This time right here was rough for us. It's not smooth sailing. We still have to show up and play. These teams, they want to knock us off. It's just being thankful, knowing that we're blessed to be in this situation, honestly."
The Lopes have their first off-Thursday of conference play this week, the first of two weeks in Phoenix. GCU plays its next three games at Global Credit Union Arena, starting with a game against Southern Utah next Saturday night. The Lopes won the teams' first meeting 96-75 in Cedar City, Utah on Jan. 4.
Complacency is about as much a part of this season's Lopes as fatigue. Playing in its fifth different city in the past five games, GCU asserted its stake to the nation's best record with a hungry, high-effort 86-67 win at Utah Valley that merits a week off until its next game.
The Lopes are 21-2 for the first time in program history and sit securely atop the WAC at 11-1 because its defense was consistently good enough to allow the offense to catch up and run over the Wolverines.
Utah Valley was 23-2 at home over the past two seasons. But even with GCU missing its first 11 shots from 3-point range, the Wolverines never held a lead Saturday.
The Lopes flipped their 3-point shooting to make 9 of their last 11 3s and raced ahead for a 23-7 advantage in fastbreak points. GCU was able to play transition offensive because of a defense that made 10 steals, swatted six shots and held the Wolverines to 37% shooting.
"When you make some shots, it's amazing how it does help your energy, it seems," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "They knew coming in that we had a week until our next game, and they really wanted to give their best effort and give all they had. Guys were gassed out there."Despite not trailing, GCU was sputtering offensively though the first half until a 9-2 close to the half came off its first three made 3-pointers. Graduate forward Lok Wur hit consecutive 3s and then assisted on a 3 by graduate forward Gabe McGlothan for a 32-23 halftime lead.
After setting his career high against a Division I opponent Thursday night, Wur matched that output with another 13-point game Saturday. The 6-foot-9 Oregon transfer added four rebounds, two blocked shots and one steal in 20 reserve minutes.
"He was so efficient," Drew said of Wur's 5-for-8 shooting. "His 3-point shooting (3 for 4) was tremendous. He had some great drives to the rim. An element he's bringing us also is rim protection. He had a great blocked shot in the first half and his length around the paint really helps our defense."Wur's play supplements the consistent contributions of GCU's star trio of junior guard Ray Harrison (21 points for the second consecutive game), McGlothan (17 points and 11 rebounds for his 20th career double-double) and junior guard Tyon Grant-Foster (14 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks).
"The arsenal is crazy," Harrison said.
Harrison chased Utah Valley's hot shooter, guard Tanner Toolson, on defense while leading the scoring and not making a turnover in 33 minutes.
"He's been so good in this stretch," Drew said of Harrison. "Scoring the ball but also defending. He had to guard (Cameron) Tyson (of Seattle U on Thursday) and Toolson tonight. It's tiring running around screens, having to go get the ball and then having to make plays at the other end."I know all of our guys are looking forward to a break and not having a game on Thursday, but he might be more than anybody after the last couple of weeks and what he's had to do."
The Lopes tied their second-lowest turnover game of the season, allowing them to take eight more shots that the Wolverines in the first half and then outscore them 20-8 on second-half free throws.
"Coach Drew trusts me," Harrison said of his growth at point guard. "Me knowing that my coach trusts me in every situation gives me the utmost confidence to handle the ball and take of it."
GCU went 6 for 6 on 3s in the second half after Drew kept encouraging his shooters through the 0-for-11 start with, "Keep shooting, Shots are going to fall."
Just when Utah Valley had made its last challenge to cut the lead to 48-44 with more than 13 minutes remaining, McGlothan made consecutive 3s to take the lead back to double digits.When GCU was putting the game away with an 11-2 run moments later, it was Grant-Foster snuffing out Utah Valley chances with two blocked shots, a steal and control of the boards. His nine rebounds marked his highest total since Dec. 2.
"The last seven minutes, he got nearly every defensive rebound," Drew said. "Tyon has a great talent of turning a rebound into getting to the rim on the other end."
Utah Valley was 7-1 at home this season until Saturday but has trouble locating its offense against GCU,
After setting a Lopes opponent low with 25 first-half points in the Jan. 18 loss at GCU, the Wolverines broke that mark by only managing 23 first-half points on Saturday.
"It was a rough second half for us and Grand Canyon did a heck of a job," Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips said. "They went 6 of 6 from 3, and every time they had an open shot, they hit it."For a team with a 2 1/2-game lead atop the WAC, the Lopes emerged with an expectation of winning even through a stretch of four road stops in five games that stretched GCU from Seattle to East Texas to to Phoenix to Utah.
"We're just thankful for where we're at right now," Harrison said. "Last year, things were a little bit different at this time. This time right here was rough for us. It's not smooth sailing. We still have to show up and play. These teams, they want to knock us off. It's just being thankful, knowing that we're blessed to be in this situation, honestly."
The Lopes have their first off-Thursday of conference play this week, the first of two weeks in Phoenix. GCU plays its next three games at Global Credit Union Arena, starting with a game against Southern Utah next Saturday night. The Lopes won the teams' first meeting 96-75 in Cedar City, Utah on Jan. 4.
Team Stats
GCU
UVU
FG%
.429
.373
3FG%
.409
.318
FT%
.793
.526
RB
43
45
TO
7
12
STL
10
2
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
7
Players Mentioned
G
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