Retribution chance comes at home Friday night

Friday, November 21

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Northwestern State

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11/20/2025 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro

Lopes recognize toughness, passing as issues in loss at Saint Louis

By: Paul Coro

Since Saturday's loss at Saint Louis, Grand Canyon has had its toughness questioned and has been puzzled about how it did not carry out a game plan.

And that was just from within.

But with the defeat sharpening focus, the Lopes are looking to come out of a 2-2 start similarly to how last season's team went from 2-2 to the Big Dance.

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 20, 2025: The Lopes take part in practice at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski / GCU

Phoenix, AZ Nov. 20, 2025: The Lopes take part in practice at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski / GCU

The first trial comes at 7 p.m. Friday against Northwestern State at Global Credit Union Arena before the Lopes head to Palm Desert, California, next week for games against Utah and either Iowa or Ole Miss.

"We've got to understand why it happened and learn from it," GCU graduate power forward Nana Owusu-Anane said of a 28.4% shooting game Saturday at Saint Louis. "We can't pretend that it didn't happen. We have a really good opportunity coming up on Friday to learn from what we did and be better.

"We have a long season ahead. We haven't had the start we wanted, but we've got so many opportunities ahead to be the team everybody expects us to be and we expect to be."

GCU trailed by as many as 27 points in a 78-64 loss to Atlantic 10 favorite Saint Louis (4-0).

When the Lopes reviewed Saturday's loss, they were surprised at the lack of intensity and recognized why head coach Bryce Drew said the Billikens played tougher.

"We can't just be such a close team off the court, in the locker room, in the weight room and in practice and then get on the court and look like that," GCU junior power forward Kaleb Smith said. "We have to bring it all together and make it look better on the court. It's been voiced. We all know what we need to do."

Saint Louis scored 30 of its points on fastbreaks off a mixture of the Lopes' poor shot selection, insufficient passing and turnovers. Some of the resiliency GCU showed in preseason scrimmages against Baylor and USC has reappeared this week in practice as change has been implemented and embraced.

"Toughness usually trumps scheming, and their physicality on the defensive end is what really hurt us," Drew said of Saint Louis. "The last couple years, we've had the toughest team every time we've walked on the court."

That message was heard by the players, who know toughness is controllable whether shots are falling or not.

"I look forward to us responding to Coach and being a tougher team," Owusu-Anane said. "If we can just put GCU first in front of everything else, which we're trying to do, it'll all work itself out. We're going to be a really good team. I truly believe that."

Northwestern State enters Phoenix at 1-4 after an 84-64 Tuesday loss at San Francisco, which is 4-1. The Demons rank in the bottom 10 of the nation defensively, allowing 50.9% shooting from the field this season.

They are surviving offensively on free throws (19 points per game) and their bench (31.4 points per game). Northwestern State 6-foot senior guard Micah Thomas, an All-Southland Tournament Team honoree last season, is averaging 17.6 points per game. Former Tarleton State guard Izzy Miles starts with Thomas in the Demons' backcourt.

"In practice, we're implementing things that make us trust one another on both sides of the ball and really giving into that and trusting the process of what Coach is putting out," Smith said.