Despite strong 2nd half, GCU falls at Oregon

Tuesday, November 11

Eugene, Ore.

7 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

0-3,0-0Mountain West

Oregon

3-0,0-0Big Ten

Grand Canyon

Oregon

11/11/2025 9:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Lopes shoot 60% in 2nd half behind LaMendola, Douglas outings

By: Nick Macdonald

EUGENE, Ore. – The first quarter was one to forget, but the next three were building blocks to carry into the next game for the Grand Canyon women's basketball team.

GCU fell to Big Ten opponent Oregon 84-66 on Tuesday night at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks were the second Lopes opponent ranked in the top 45 of the final 2024-25 NET rankings, following the season opener at No. 2 South Carolina.

Shooting 29% from the field and 2 of 8 from 3-point range in the first half, GCU (0-3) doubled those numbers with five 3s and a 60% clip in the third and fourth quarters, seeing sparks from every Lope who entered the game.

GCU graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas set another career best with four 3-pointers, adding four assists and totaling 14 points to lead all Lopes in scoring. Freshman guard Ines Zounia shot 50% from the floor and notched six points and two assists, while graduate guard Casey Valenti-Paea had an all-around effort with six points, four boards, and three assists in a season-high 20 minutes.

Waiting to break onto the scoring scene, GCU junior guard Julianna LaMendola showcased her range and led a toughness initiative inside the paint with four boards, helping the Lopes win the rebounding battle 31-27.

Oregon (3-0) nearly didn't miss a first-quarter shot in front of its 5,177 fans. Ducks sophomore guard Katie Fiso, who finished with 20 points and made 12 of 13 from the free throw line, recorded seven points and dished out five dimes in the opening quarter. Oregon junior guards Sofia Bell and Ari Long scored five apiece and the Ducks, who improved to 38-15 at home since 2022-23, made 11 of 14 attempts to outscore the Lopes 28-9 after one.

After ending the first quarter trailing 28-9, GCU outscored Oregon 15-14 in the second quarter for its first positive scoring margin of any quarter this season.

"I thought they did a great job after that first quarter," L opes head coach Winston Gandy said. "The same old song and dance. We saw that to start the year against South Carolina. We gave up 29 then (in the first quarter). We gave up 28 here. We won the rest of the three quarters, so that's the positive side. I thought, with rebounding, we did a good job."

The defensive intensity and scoring production were sparked by LaMendola, who finished with a season-high 13 points and four boards, all of which came on the offensive glass. Eight of her 13 points came in the third quarter, including two of GCU's seven made 3s.

Rotating players throughout the second half, Zounia helped lead a charge of 29 fourth-quarter points for the team, the most of any quarter this season. Oregon native and Willamette High School alumnus Diamond Wright made two free throws after drawing a tough foul in the paint, and Douglas was connecting from 3-point range in every spot she pulled up from, finishing the third quarter at 3 of 3 beyond the arc.

"The last group that finished out the game was phenomenal," Gandy said. "We've still got work on the turnovers. We got to double-digit assists for the first time, which was really nice to see.

"Some people that we depend on just didn't have it. I thought the bench was phenomenal. There were some great things to build on coming into Saturday."

The Lopes recorded double-digit assists and swiped eight steals, season highs in both categories. Eleven of the 12 Lopes who entered the court scored as the team finished with 42% shooting from the field and 43% accuracy on 3s.

GCU stays on the road and faces UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 3 p.m. (Phoenix time). The game can be watched on ESPN+.

"We can't shoot ourselves in the foot," Gandy said. "I can't wait to see when we figure out what this start-of-the-game shenanigans is. I can't wait until we figure that out because I think we could be a really, really good team come the back end of this nonconference schedule going into the new year."