Lopes bring undefeated WAC record into 2-game homestand

Thursday, January 23

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Southern Utah

Tickets

Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo/GCU

Lopes bring undefeated WAC record into 2-game homestand

1/22/2025 6:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball

GCU needs 2 wins to match longest winning streak in program history

By: Nick Macdonald


Grand Canyon Lopes (17-2, 4-0 WAC)	vs.	Southern Utah Thunderbirds (3-14, 1-3 WAC)	Utah Tech Trailblazers (5-12, 1-3 WAC)
		Thursday, Jan. 23 6 p.m.	Saturday, Jan. 25 2 p.m.
Game Notes		Watch Live Stats	Watch Live Stats

THIS GAME

Coming off a two-game road trip where the Lopes earned two victories via second-half comebacks, GCU returns home for two games in a three-day stretch.
The Lopes have won 15 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in program history and the third longest among Division I programs. Only LSU and UCLA have longer streaks.
GCU is one home win away from tying the all-time program record for home wins in a season. The Lopes won 13 at home last season to tie the record, and have seven opportunities to get to 14 before WAC Vegas.

STORYLINES

GCU is 4-0 in WAC play, including a 3-0 record away from Phoenix. Winners of 15 straight games, the Lopes' last loss came Nov. 18 at nationally ranked Oregon, marking 64 days since its last loss.
Lopes senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is one of the nation's top 3-point shooters, ranking first in 3-pointers per game (4.06), second in total 3s made (73) and 11th in 3-point percentage (45.6%). The senior knocked down four or more 3s in nine games this season. She is five 3s shy of tying the program's Division I-era record for 3s in a season. Durazo-Frescas was a game-time scratch Saturday at Tarleton State due to injury.
Graduate Laura Erikstrup is the team's leading scorer at 15.8 ppg and is 13th in the country in field goal percentage (60.5). Erikstrup has totaled 15 straight games with double digit point totals, including five double-doubles in that span. Erikstrup is second in the WAC in points (301), trailing only Abilene Christian's Payton Hull (334). Her 124 field goals made are best in the conference.
GCU is one of the most efficient teams from the floor in the entire nation, ranking seventh in field goal percentage (48.7%). Five players are shooting 45% or better from the floor (minimum 50 attempts), with two players over 50% on the season. The Lopes have shot 50% or better 11 times this season, with only four games under 40% as a squad.
Defensive duo Tiarra Brown and Trinity San Antonio are first and second in the WAC, respectively, in steals. Brown has 54 on the season to San Antonio's 48. The Lopes have 232 steals compared to their opponents' 126.
San Antonio ranks in the country with 5.4 assists per game this season. San Antonio and senior guard Callie Cooper have combined to dish out 156 assists, with Cooper's 1.90 assist/turnover ratio ranking third in the WAC.
Head coach Molly Miller ranks fifth among active coaches in winning percentage (.839) with nine or more seasons. She trails only Geno Auriemma (UConn), Kim Caldwell (Tennessee), Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Jeff Hans (Northern Kentucky).
The Lopes are 61-12 at Global Credit Union Arena since Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU has won at least 12 games at home in each GCU season and tied the Division I-era record for most home wins in a season (13) on Feb. 24. The team is two home wins away from setting the all-time program record for wins in its home arena.

RECORD WATCH

GCU enters the week on record watch, closing in on multiple program records that would put the 2024-25 squad atop lists.
Currently on a 15 game winning streak, the Lopes are two shy of tying the all-time record of 17, previously set during the 2010-11 season.
The Lopes have won 12 games at home this season and are two away from breaking the single-season program record for wins at home. Last year's team tied the mark at 13, with this season's team needing two wins over its next seven home games to make history.
Graduate forward Tiarra Brown is five rebounds shy of becoming the program's all-time leader in career rebounds. Currently at 645, her 650th rebound will move her past Channa Speckman's record of 649 set between 1992-1996.

SCOUTING REPORT

Southern Utah is 3-14 overall and 1-3 in WAC play, coming off a 61-57 victory at home over Seattle U for its first conference win of the season.
Sydney Gandy ranks fifth in the WAC in 3-pointers per game (1.94) and second in three point attempts (119), trailing only Alyssa Durazo-Frescas from GCU. Gandy has made 33 threes on the season.
Ava Uhrich leads the team with 10.3 points per game, pulling down 4.3 boards with eight blocks and 27 assists.
The Thunderbirds rank in the top four in assists per game (14.8) and assist/turnover ratio (0.86).
Utah Tech is 5-12 overall and 1-3 in WAC play.
The Trailblazers are second in the nation in 3-point attempts per game, averaging 31.4 per contest and trailing only Tennessee in that department. Their 9.7 3-point makes per game rank 11th in the nation.
Emily Isaacson is second in the league with 43 made 3s and a 3-point percentage of 41.3%, trailing only Durazo-Frescas in each category.
Chardonnay Hartley is fifth in the entire nation in assists per game (6.6), 10th in assists (113) and leads the WAC in minutes per game (34.8).
The Trailblazers have three scorers in double digits, led by Isaacson (12.7), Hartley (12.5) and Aaliyah Ibarra (10.4).