19-2 Lopes head to Seattle U, Utah Valley

Thursday, January 30

Seattle, Wash.

12 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Seattle U

1/29/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

GCU aims to stay perfect in WAC play

By: Nick Macdonald


Grand Canyon Lopes (19-2, 6-0 WAC)	at	Seattle U Redhawks (3-16, 0-6 WAC)	Utah Valley Wolverines (13-6, 5-2 WAC)
		Thursday, Jan. 30 12 p.m. (Phoenix time)	Saturday, Feb. 1 2 p.m. (Phoenix time)
Game Notes		Watch Live Stats	Watch Live Stats

THIS GAME

Entering the weekend with the second longest active winning streak in the nation, GCU goes on the road for back-to-back showdowns against Seattle U and Utah Valley.
The Lopes are the only undefeated WAC team remaining, with a 3-0 record at home and 3-0 showing on the road in league play.
GCU is one of the best shooting teams in the nation, ranking 7th in field goal percentage (49%). It also holds opposing offenses to 57.2 points per game (1st in WAC), allowing 59 points or less in five of six WAC games.

STORYLINES

Grand Canyon has won 17 straight games, tying a single season program record for most wins in a single campaign. A win Thursday would break that record, while also tying the overall win streak record of 18 games set between the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is one of the nation's top three point scorers, ranking first in three pointers per game (4.06), second in total threes made (73), and 12th in three point percentage (45.6). The senior has knocked down four or more threes in nine games this season. She is 5 threes shy of tying the school's D-1 record for threes in a season. Durazo-Frescas has missed the past 3 games due to injury, and will be a game time decision for Seattle U.
Graduate Laura Erikstrup is the team's leading scorer at 15.5 ppg and is 14th in the country in field goal percentage (60.6). Erikstrup has totaled 17 double digit point totals with six double-doubles in that span. Erikstrup is second in the WAC in total points (326), trailing only Abilene Christian's Payton Hull (334). Her 134 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 (49.0). Five players are averaging 45% or better from the floor (min. 50 attempts), with two players over 50% on the season. The Lopes have shot 50% or better as a team 12 times this season, with only four games under 40% as a squad.
Defensive duo Tiarra Brown and Trinity San Antonio are 1 and 2 in the WAC, respectively, in total steals. Brown has 59 on the season to San Antonio's 54. As a team, the Lopes have 265 steals compared to their opponent's 140.
San Antonio is 19th in the country with 108 assists this season, averaging 5.4 for the season (ranking 24th). The duo of her and senior Callie Cooper have combined to dish out 178 assists, with Cooper's 1.89 assist/turnover ratio ranking second best in the WAC.
Head Coach Molly Miller ranks fifth among active coaches in winning % (.840) with 9+ seasons of coaching. She trails only Geno Auriemma (UConn), Kim Caldwell (Tennessee), Kim Mulkey (LSU), and Jeff Hans (Northern Kentucky).
The Lopes are 63-12 at Global Credit Union Arena since Molly Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU has won at least 12 games at home in each of her last four seasons in Phoenix and recently set a new Division I era record with its 14th home win Jan. 25. The Lopes are one more home win away from setting the all-time record for home wins in a single campaign.

SCOUTING REPORT

Seattle U is 3-16 overall with a 0-6 WAC record.
The Redhawks rank fourth in the conference in three point attempts per game (23.1), three pointers made per game (6.6), and fifth in turnovers forced per contest (16.79).
Candy Edokpaigbe leads the team with 10.2 points per game, totaling 79 rebounds, 26 assists, and a team-best 30 steals while shooting 53.4% from the floor.
Utah Valley is 13-6 overall with a 5-2 WAC showing, third best in the conference.
The Wolverines average 14.3 steals per game, third most in the entire country. Four different players have 30+ steals, led by Tahlia White with 47.
Utah Valley sees a lot of production from its bench, ranking 25th in the nation (1st in WAC) with 26.3 bench points per game.
Danja Stafford leads the entire WAC with 175 rebounds, ranking seventh in the country in offensive rebounds per contest (4.5). Her 9.2 total rebounds per game is 47th among D-I players.
White leads the Wolverines with 10.6 points per game.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes return home for one game next week, a Saturday matinee vs. California Baptist Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
GCU is one home win shy of setting the program record for home wins in one campaign.