UCSB hits game-winner vs. GCU with 8 seconds left

Saturday, November 15

Santa Barbara, Calif.

3 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

0-4,0-0Mountain West

UC Santa Barbara

3-1,0-0Big West

Grand Canyon

UC Santa Barbara

11/15/2025 6:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Lopes' LaMendola leads way with 17 points, 7 rebounds

By: Nick Macdonald

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In a back-and-forth affair with 10 lead changes and seven ties, Grand Canyon fell to UC Santa Barbara 72-70 at the Thunderdome on Saturday.

The Gauchos (3-1) took the lead with eight seconds remaining on Zoe Barter's turnaround jump shot.

News and notes

Junior forward Julianna LaMendola led the Lopes with 17 points and seven rebounds, logging her second consecutive double-digit scoring game. Nine of her 17 points came in the second half, including a go-ahead turnaround jumper with 16 seconds remaining.
GCU graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas notched 11 points with two 3-pointers and three assists. Douglas improved her team-high 3-point percentage to 60% (9 of 15) this season.
Lopes sophomore guard Chloe Mann had an all-around game, scoring 10 points while adding five assists, three rebounds and a steal. Mann entered the contest shooting 90% from the free throw line and made 6 of 8 attempts.

GCU (0-4) played its best first quarter of the season Saturday against a UC Santa Barbara team that ranked in the top 60 nationally for 3-pointers. The Gauchos climbed to an 8-3 lead at the five-minute mark before LaMendola took control of the scoring, tallying eight points, including a 3 as the shot clock expired.

UCSB's (3-1) began its 3-point surge in the second quarter. The Gauchos made 5 of 7 shots from 3-point range in the quarter, with Madison Naro making four 3s in the game. After the Lopes led 16-13 after one quarter, the Gauchos outscored them 23-14 and went into halftime leading 36-30.

The back-and-forth affair really picked up in the second half. Down 41-33, GCU went on a seven-point run and eventually tied the game at 43-43 at the over five-minute mark of the third. GCU distributed the scoring, with graduate guard Anisa Jeffries and freshman forward Ines Zounia producing rally-making shots in the Lopes 25-point third quarter.

The fourth quarter offered much of the same. The Gauchos connected on four 3-pointers while LaMendola heated up again for six fourth-quarter points.

Down three with 45 seconds to play, Jeffries made a jumper to pull within one (69-68) with a timeout called by UCSB. On the ensuing possession, the Gauchos turned the ball over and gave GCU 33 seconds to come up with a game-leading basket. A first attempt was missed by Jeffries, but the forward grabbed the rebound and Gandy called timeout to set up one last attempt.

Off the inbound, LaMendola faced the basket off the baseline, dribbled right and shot over the defender for the make, giving GCU a 70-69 advantage with 16 seconds left.

The Gauchos responded with a timeout, and eight seconds later, converted a jumper by Zoe Borter to retake the lead. The final timeout was taken by Gandy, and on the ensuing possession, a lost ball turnover gave the ball back to the Gauchos.

GCU shot a season-best 43% from the floor and made 10 of 14 from the free throw line, marking the third game this season that the Lopes better than 70% from the charity stripe.

The Lopes return home Tuesday for a 6 p..m. contest against ACC opponent SMU.