Lopes return home, host SMU Tuesday night

Tuesday, November 18

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

SMU

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Jayden Todd

11/17/2025 6:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Watch (MW Network)Live Stats Listen Tickets

GCU aims for 1st win of season against 1st ACC opponent since 2019

By: Nick Macdonald

Grand Canyon returns home for its second contest of the season at Global Credit Union Arena. Live action can be found on Arizona's Family Sports and the Mountain West Network.

AT A GLANCE

GCU returns home Tuesday for its second game at home this season. The Lopes are searching for their first win after a back-and-forth, last second loss at UC Santa Barbara Saturday.
Graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas leads the team with nine made 3-pointers, totaling six over her last two games and with 25 points scored in that span. Douglas' nine 3's are tied for fourth most in the Mountain West.
Sophomore guard Chloe Mann has shot 16 of 19 from the free throw line through four games this season, leading the squad with an 84% mark from the line. Mann leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and has a team best 12 assists.
Junior guard Julianna LaMendola has combined for 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four 3-pointers over her last two games. LaMendola scored a team-high 17 points at UC Santa Barbara and has pulled down 19 rebounds for the season, seven of which have come on the offensive glass.
The Lopes have made 51 free throws this year, tied for fourth best in the Mountain West. The squad has made double digit free throws in every game this season, going 21 of 29 over their last two games.
GCU's 2025-26 non-conference schedule is the toughest in program history, with an average opponent NET of 120 (based on 2024-25), 109 spots higher than the average NET over the last five seasons combined. The Lopes will travel to South Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga, and face California and UTSA over the Thanksgiving holiday in Frisco, Texas.

THIS GAME

Grand Canyon returns home for its second game at Global Credit Union Arena this season Tuesday evening versus SMU.
GCU seeks its first win of the season after a narrow loss at UC Santa Barbara Saturday.
The game Tuesday is the first between SMU in program history. It is the first time playing a current ACC opponent since facing California Dec. 29, 2019 and first of-conference ACC opponent since Duke Nov. 12, 2017.

SCOUTING SMU

SMU is 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in away games, playing its second straight on the road after an away outing at Texas Tech Nov. 13.
The Mustangs opened the season with a victory over Grambling State and took No. 25 Kansas State to the wire in a low scoring, 46-44 loss Nov. 8.
Tyi Skinner leads the team with 15.0 points per game, doing so in one game against Texas Tech. Skinner has played Grand Canyon twice in her career as a member of Arizona State, totaling 44 points including a 29 point outing in 2022 at GCU.
Grace Hall has grabbed a team-high 16 boards, averaging 5.3 rpg to go along with 6.7 ppg.
SMU is averaging 42 rebounds per game, totaling 126 in three games. Fifty three of the 126 are on the offensive glass, with Hall and Miriam Ibezim combining for 18 O-Boards.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes take nearly a week break before heading to Frisco, Texas, for the Hoopfest Basketball Women's Challenge.
GCU will play California Monday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. MST followed by UTSA Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 4 p.m. MST.
The games will be streamed on FloSports and played at Comerica Center.