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, January 25
St. George, Utah / Burns Arena
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
15-5,5-1WAC
79
at
66
Utah Tech
6-14,2-3WAC
1
2
F
Grand Canyon
34
45
79
Utah Tech
21
45
66
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Road mode stays convincing at Utah Tech
1/25/2025 11:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes shoot 58.3%, hold Trailblazers to 36.9% shooting for wire-to-wire win
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A successful road team must enjoy spoiling the party, and Grand Canyon crashed and crushed one Saturday night.
On the city of St. George's 163rd birthday, the visiting Lopes ended Utah Tech's four-game home winning streak with GCU's fourth consecutive double-digit victory. The Lopes led wire to wire and were routing the Trailblazers by as much as 28 points en route to a 79-66 conference win at Burns Arena.
GCU (15-4, 5-1 WAC) continued the road trip's theme of big-man dominance and extended its defining defensive run that started in mid-December.
Over the past 10 games, GCU has kept opponent to 37% shooting from the field by hitting that number again Saturday night, when Utah Tech needed a late-game surge to get to 36.9%.
On a night when guard Ray Harrison moved to No. 8 on the Lopes' all-time scoring list in his third GCU season, it was the senior's defense that shined most. Harrison chased and denied Utah Tech guard Noa Gonsalves, averaging 14.3 points, into a scoreless first half and a 1-for-5 shooting game.
"He's a great shooter and we knew that coming into this game and I've known that from playing them over the past couple years," Harrison said. "I just came in alert and ready to chase them all over the place. I didn't really have much help responsibility. I just had to stay on his hip and try my best."
GCU outscored Utah Tech by 24 points in Harrison's 29 minutes and was outscored by 11 in the 11 minutes that Harrison rested.
The team defense kept the Trailblazers' other leading scorer and 50% shooter, forward Beon Riley, to a 5-of-15 shooting game.
The Lopes only allowed 21 first-half points on 28% shooting after Utah Tech had shot 58.6% from the field in its previous game at WAC leader Utah Valley. Within the first seven minutes on Saturday night, GCU took an 18-5 lead when a Harrison 3-pointer followed a backdoor assist and fastbreak layup by senior forward Tyon Grant-Foster, who returned after missing Thursday's win for illness.
"We've been searching for consistency," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "We had the two really good games at home. And so we were looking for consistency on this road trip. Really pleased with both games. This is four games I think that we've played at a high level. We've played with urgency on the court. We played really connected with each other."
GCU junior center Duke Brennan and senior power forward JaKobe Coles exemplified that consistency with their performance in two road wins over three nights.
Brennan logged his fifth double-double of the season, all coming in the last seven games with four of them vs. WAC opponents (twice this week). He tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds Saturday night, continuing the best play of his career with averages of 12.0 points and 10.9 rebounds over the past seven games.
"Duke, that's my dog," Harrison said. "He's a warrior.
"That's bigtime. The way he starts out games, I always tell him that we appreciate him. He gives so much energy."
Coles followed up Thursday night's 20-point, seven-rebound, four-assist game at Southern Utahn with an 18-point, eight-rebound, three-assist game Saturday night at Utah Tech.
With 6-for-8 accuracy from the field, Cole five jump shots and a tip-in. When GCU scorched Utah Tech to open the second half, Coles accounted for 11 consecutive points when the Lopes built a 49-27 lead.
After making a 3-pointer, Coles knocked down mid-range jumpers on the next two trips and followed those up on the next two possessions by assisting a Brennan layup and tipping in a missed 3-pointer. Coles leads the team with a career-high 14.0 points per game on 52% shooting.
"JaKobe's really been scoring at a high level," Drew said. "He's hit a lot of tough shots in these last two games. And he really got it going to start that second half when he hit multiple shots in a row."
GCU led 34-21 at halftime when an official's review waved off a Utah Tech 3-pointer but was still lamenting nine turnovers and nine offensive rebounds that were preventing the game from breaking wide open. The Trailblazers unveiled a 3-2 zone defense that troubled the Lopes until halftime adjustments.
GCU did not make a second-half turnover for the first 14 minutes, a stretch only snapped because of the possession arrow on a loose ball tie-up with 5:51 to go. The Lopes only took 13 of their 48 shots from 3-point range to finish with 58.3% shooting, their second highest clip of the season to the 61.1% that GCU shot vs. Norfolk State on Nov. 22.
The Lopes made 69% of their 2-point shots, getting 27 points from their aggressive bench – sophomore guard Caleb Shaw (12 points, season high vs. Division I opponent) and the graduate forward duo of Lök Wur (eight points) and Grant-Foster (seven points). After not being able to play due to illlness Thursday, Grant-Foster logged 16 minutes Saturday and made an immediate impact with two blocked shots and a steal shortly after checking in.
GCU has won four consecutive games by 13 or more points for the first time since the 2021-22 season (Dec. 31, 2021 to Jan. 16, 2022)
"Our overall cohesiveness has just increased," Harrison said. "I also feel like just the joy, the fun that we're having out there is different than what it was in Utah Valley. I feel like guys are just more excited to see guys being successful on the floor, whether it's individually, but we all come together as a team.
"It's way more fun to watch. It's way more fun to be out there. Playing that way is great. I like the position that we're in right now."
With Utah Valley (15-6, 7-0 WAC) winning Saturday night at Seattle U, GCU remains in second place in the conference with both of those teams visiting Phoenix this week. GCU will play Seattle U on ESPNU at 9 p.m. Thursday night in Global Credit Union Arena before Saturday night's pivotal rematch with Utah Valley at home.
On the city of St. George's 163rd birthday, the visiting Lopes ended Utah Tech's four-game home winning streak with GCU's fourth consecutive double-digit victory. The Lopes led wire to wire and were routing the Trailblazers by as much as 28 points en route to a 79-66 conference win at Burns Arena.
GCU (15-4, 5-1 WAC) continued the road trip's theme of big-man dominance and extended its defining defensive run that started in mid-December.
Over the past 10 games, GCU has kept opponent to 37% shooting from the field by hitting that number again Saturday night, when Utah Tech needed a late-game surge to get to 36.9%.
On a night when guard Ray Harrison moved to No. 8 on the Lopes' all-time scoring list in his third GCU season, it was the senior's defense that shined most. Harrison chased and denied Utah Tech guard Noa Gonsalves, averaging 14.3 points, into a scoreless first half and a 1-for-5 shooting game.
"He's a great shooter and we knew that coming into this game and I've known that from playing them over the past couple years," Harrison said. "I just came in alert and ready to chase them all over the place. I didn't really have much help responsibility. I just had to stay on his hip and try my best."
GCU outscored Utah Tech by 24 points in Harrison's 29 minutes and was outscored by 11 in the 11 minutes that Harrison rested.The team defense kept the Trailblazers' other leading scorer and 50% shooter, forward Beon Riley, to a 5-of-15 shooting game.
The Lopes only allowed 21 first-half points on 28% shooting after Utah Tech had shot 58.6% from the field in its previous game at WAC leader Utah Valley. Within the first seven minutes on Saturday night, GCU took an 18-5 lead when a Harrison 3-pointer followed a backdoor assist and fastbreak layup by senior forward Tyon Grant-Foster, who returned after missing Thursday's win for illness.
"We've been searching for consistency," Lopes head coach Bryce Drew said. "We had the two really good games at home. And so we were looking for consistency on this road trip. Really pleased with both games. This is four games I think that we've played at a high level. We've played with urgency on the court. We played really connected with each other."
GCU junior center Duke Brennan and senior power forward JaKobe Coles exemplified that consistency with their performance in two road wins over three nights.Brennan logged his fifth double-double of the season, all coming in the last seven games with four of them vs. WAC opponents (twice this week). He tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds Saturday night, continuing the best play of his career with averages of 12.0 points and 10.9 rebounds over the past seven games.
"Duke, that's my dog," Harrison said. "He's a warrior.
"That's bigtime. The way he starts out games, I always tell him that we appreciate him. He gives so much energy."
Coles followed up Thursday night's 20-point, seven-rebound, four-assist game at Southern Utahn with an 18-point, eight-rebound, three-assist game Saturday night at Utah Tech.
With 6-for-8 accuracy from the field, Cole five jump shots and a tip-in. When GCU scorched Utah Tech to open the second half, Coles accounted for 11 consecutive points when the Lopes built a 49-27 lead.
After making a 3-pointer, Coles knocked down mid-range jumpers on the next two trips and followed those up on the next two possessions by assisting a Brennan layup and tipping in a missed 3-pointer. Coles leads the team with a career-high 14.0 points per game on 52% shooting."JaKobe's really been scoring at a high level," Drew said. "He's hit a lot of tough shots in these last two games. And he really got it going to start that second half when he hit multiple shots in a row."
GCU led 34-21 at halftime when an official's review waved off a Utah Tech 3-pointer but was still lamenting nine turnovers and nine offensive rebounds that were preventing the game from breaking wide open. The Trailblazers unveiled a 3-2 zone defense that troubled the Lopes until halftime adjustments.
GCU did not make a second-half turnover for the first 14 minutes, a stretch only snapped because of the possession arrow on a loose ball tie-up with 5:51 to go. The Lopes only took 13 of their 48 shots from 3-point range to finish with 58.3% shooting, their second highest clip of the season to the 61.1% that GCU shot vs. Norfolk State on Nov. 22.
The Lopes made 69% of their 2-point shots, getting 27 points from their aggressive bench – sophomore guard Caleb Shaw (12 points, season high vs. Division I opponent) and the graduate forward duo of Lök Wur (eight points) and Grant-Foster (seven points). After not being able to play due to illlness Thursday, Grant-Foster logged 16 minutes Saturday and made an immediate impact with two blocked shots and a steal shortly after checking in.GCU has won four consecutive games by 13 or more points for the first time since the 2021-22 season (Dec. 31, 2021 to Jan. 16, 2022)
"Our overall cohesiveness has just increased," Harrison said. "I also feel like just the joy, the fun that we're having out there is different than what it was in Utah Valley. I feel like guys are just more excited to see guys being successful on the floor, whether it's individually, but we all come together as a team.
"It's way more fun to watch. It's way more fun to be out there. Playing that way is great. I like the position that we're in right now."
With Utah Valley (15-6, 7-0 WAC) winning Saturday night at Seattle U, GCU remains in second place in the conference with both of those teams visiting Phoenix this week. GCU will play Seattle U on ESPNU at 9 p.m. Thursday night in Global Credit Union Arena before Saturday night's pivotal rematch with Utah Valley at home.
Team Stats
GCU
UTTECH
FG%
.583
.369
3FG%
.308
.261
FT%
.864
.706
RB
32
34
TO
14
12
STL
8
7
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
13
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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