Completed Event: Men's Basketball at UNLV on February 7, 2026 , Loss , 78, to, 80
M Basketball
at UNLV
L 78-80
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
WAC championship: GCU 89, UT Arlington 74
3/16/2024 11:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes punch NCAA tournament ticket for 3rd time in 4 seasons
LAS VEGAS – Grand Canyon is headed to the NCAA tournament for the third time in four seasons after punching its Big Dance ticket by grabbing the WAC Tournament trophy Saturday night with an 89-74 title game victory against UT Arlington at an overwhelming purple-proud Orleans Arena.
GCU improved to 29-4, which is tied with Purdue for the nation's fifth-best winning percentage, with four scorers in double figures and a 53-point second half that ended UT Arlington's eight-game winning streak.
GCU senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster finished with game highs for points (22) and rebounds (nine) while adding three steals, two assists and a blocked shot in 33 minutes of play. He made 5 of 12 shots from the field and 11 of 18 at the free throw line, including the last six in a row.
Grant-Foster was named the WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, giving the Lopes three players on this roster who have won that award with junior guard Ray Harrison (2023) and graduate guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.
The 8-0 run began with six consecutive free throws and a Harrison score in the lane before the Mavericks tightened the lead back to 78-74 after two official reviews gave possession to UT Arlington. The Lopes closed out the final run with nine of the points coming on free throws. With UT Arlington fouling 33 times, GCU went 37 for 50 on free throws with 26-for-31 accuracy in the second half.
Analysts Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright and Seth Davis will join host Adam Zucker in New York and will be joined by NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee Chair Charles McClelland after the bracket is announced. In the Lopes' previous NCAA Division I tournament visits, they have been seeded No. 15 in 2021 and No. 14 in 2023 but are projected for a higher seed this season at 29-4.
Return to GCULopes.com later tonight for Paul Coro's updated game recap with more details and reactions from Lopes head coach Bryce Drew and players.
GCU improved to 29-4, which is tied with Purdue for the nation's fifth-best winning percentage, with four scorers in double figures and a 53-point second half that ended UT Arlington's eight-game winning streak.
Key player
GCU senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster finished with game highs for points (22) and rebounds (nine) while adding three steals, two assists and a blocked shot in 33 minutes of play. He made 5 of 12 shots from the field and 11 of 18 at the free throw line, including the last six in a row.Grant-Foster was named the WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, giving the Lopes three players on this roster who have won that award with junior guard Ray Harrison (2023) and graduate guard Jovan Blacksher Jr.
Key moment
The Lopes.only led 70-67 with 3:25 remaining when runs of 8-0 and 11-0 put the game away.The 8-0 run began with six consecutive free throws and a Harrison score in the lane before the Mavericks tightened the lead back to 78-74 after two official reviews gave possession to UT Arlington. The Lopes closed out the final run with nine of the points coming on free throws. With UT Arlington fouling 33 times, GCU went 37 for 50 on free throws with 26-for-31 accuracy in the second half.
Key statistic
UT Arlington committed 26 turnovers, the most by a GCU opponent this season. The previous mark was 25, also by the Mavericks when the Lopes won Jan. 27 in Arlington. Of the 26 turnovers, 12 came on GCU steals with graduate power forward Gabe McGlothan tying his career high with four steals. Grant-Foster and junior guard Collin Moore each made three steals.Quotable
Lopes head coach Bryce Drew: "What a great night for our team, our school. We have such awesome support. For us to be able to win a championship and do it on national TV and do it in front of all of our fans that made the trip over here makes it extra special. I'm grateful for the whole team and the commitment they've made to each other to work hard and to want to win all year."What's next?
GCU will stay in Las Vegas to find out its NCAA tournament opponent, site and seeding on the NCAA Selection Show, which will be at 3 p.m. (Phoenix time). It will be broadcast on CBS and stream on March Madness Live.Analysts Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright and Seth Davis will join host Adam Zucker in New York and will be joined by NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee Chair Charles McClelland after the bracket is announced. In the Lopes' previous NCAA Division I tournament visits, they have been seeded No. 15 in 2021 and No. 14 in 2023 but are projected for a higher seed this season at 29-4.
Return to GCULopes.com later tonight for Paul Coro's updated game recap with more details and reactions from Lopes head coach Bryce Drew and players.
Players Mentioned
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