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
Rapid recap: GCU 74, Southern Utah 59
1/23/2025 8:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes notch road victory for 3rd consecutive blowout win
CEDAR CITY, Utah – Grand Canyon recorded its third consecutive double-digit victory but earned the latest one on the road Thursday night by controlling nearly all of 74-59 conference victory at mile-high Southern Utah.
The Lopes (14-5, 4-1 WAC) continued their outstanding defensive stretch that has won eight of their last nine games. The Thunderbirds shot 37.3% from the field at home with leading scorer Jamir Simpson going 6 for 17 from the field.
GCU junior center Duke Brennan recorded his fourth double-double of the season (third in WAC play) with 12 points and 13 rebounds to help sweep the season series against Southern Utah.
Brennan grabbed 10 rebounds in the first half and already had exceeded his WAC-leading offensive rebounding average with four offensive boards before halftime..
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 center Duke Brennan.
The Lopes (14-5, 4-1 WAC) continued their outstanding defensive stretch that has won eight of their last nine games. The Thunderbirds shot 37.3% from the field at home with leading scorer Jamir Simpson going 6 for 17 from the field.
Key player
GCU junior center Duke Brennan recorded his fourth double-double of the season (third in WAC play) with 12 points and 13 rebounds to help sweep the season series against Southern Utah.Brennan grabbed 10 rebounds in the first half and already had exceeded his WAC-leading offensive rebounding average with four offensive boards before halftime..
Key moment
The Lopes led by double digits for the final 25 minutes of the game, but the Thunderbirds remained in striking distance when GCU had a 90-second, second-half stretch in which it scored 10 points. A pair of 3-pointers by sophomore guard Caleb Shaw were bookended by a pair of Brennan finishes assisted by forwards JaKobe Coles and Traivar Jackson.Key statistic
GCU used the interior presence of Brennan and Coles to dominate second-chance points 15-6 and points in the paint 38-28. Coles led GCU's offense with 20 points and four assists.Quotable
Lopes head coach Bryce Drew: "It definitely was not a pretty game to watch out there. The altitude, no doubt, does affect us and how we played and our conditioning. We had to sub a lot more. We never moved with the same pace that we usualy do, but we talked about fighting through and being tough. In those times when you get tired, those are the moments that you have to rebound and you have to really get back on defense. In those moments, the guys were mentally tough, physically tough and that allowed us to get that lead and keep it."What's next?
GCU stays on the road for a Saturday game at Utah Tech, which was idle Thursday night. The Trailblazers have won four consecutive home games and are 5-2 at Burns Arena but are coming off losses at Seattle U and Utah Valley.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 center Duke Brennan.
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