Turnovers put GCU in hole it couldn't escape

Sunday, December 7

Phoenix, Ariz.

1 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

1-8,0-0Mountain West

Saint Mary's

7-4,0-0WCC

Saint Mary's (CA)

Grand Canyon

Photo by: Jayden Todd

12/7/2025 5:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score

Lopes' Mann scores 17, but Gales' 17-8 2nd quarter tips scale

By: Paul Coro

The basketball gods and goddesses were forgiving with the Grand Canyon women's basketball team to a point Sunday.

After 10 first-quarter turnovers, GCU was still tied with Saint Mary's. After eight more turnovers coupled with a shooting slip in the second quarter, the eventual difference of the Lopes' 62-54 home loss to the Gaels was formed.

The Lopes' schedule had been unforgiving with only two previous games at Global Credit Union Arena amid the 12th-most difficult schedule thus far. But GCU's preceding 1-4 stretch included a home win vs. SMU and four losses away from Phoenix that were decided by a combined 12 points.

Chloe Mann

This time, the Lopes (1-8) could not get closer to the Gaels (7-4) than an eight-point deficit for the final 14 minutes, despite Saint Mary's ultimately making just as many turnovers (26) as the GCU. It was the most Lopes turnovers in a game since January 2023 (28 vs. Tarleton State).

While the Gales dominated points in the paint 36-20, the Lopes failed again to find offensive support for sophomore Chloe Mann's scoring. With 17 points following up Thursday's 26-point game at Gonzaga, Mann is averaging 14.4 points this season with 39.5% 3-point shooting.

Mann made 5 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, on Sunday for her second-best shooting game of the season.

The point guard was tagged with seven of the turnovers, but she only committed one second-half turnover that came early in the third quarter. Gandy estimated half of her first-half turnovers were due to teammates being in the wrong place.

"As somebody who is learning how to play the point guard position, there has to be some constants for her to know where people are going to be," Gandy said. "We let her down.

"I loved her efficiency. Her 50% shooting from the field is great. It was nice to see some breakthrough, but we've got to give her some help. She's playing well enough for us to win."

GCU made more turnovers in the first half (18) than it had in each of the previous two games and then did not make a field goal for the first five minutes of the third quarter.

The Lopes' half-court defense was throttling the Gaels, but only freshman guard Diamond Wright stepped up. The 5-foot-10 guard from Springfield, Oregon, scored seven consecutive GCU points on her way to a season-high nine points.

Following up a first-quarter baseline floater, Wright added to her Sunday highlight reel with a driving 3-point play.

"She works," Gandy said. "Any time you're able to see people who work have success, it's awesome. I'm really happy for her. She's a super coachable kid who was not afraid of the moment and was able to perform. She did a tremendous job."

GCU stayed within striking range until Saint Mary's made a third quarter-ending jumper that began an 11-3 run for its largest lead at 56-41 with 5:20 to go.

Using varying zone defensive looks and a shot clock-draining offense, the Gaels led for the final 28 minutes consecutively. Even when GCU defended well, Saint Mary's hit soul-crushing shots as the shot clock expired repeatedly.

"They were the more aggressive team," Gandy said. "They were more together. They played the game the right way longer than we did.

"You've got to take it. They allowed us opportunities to take the game, and we didn't put for the effort we needed in that moment."

GCU committed a season-high 26 turnovers and shot 40% from the field. Mann outscored the rest of the starting lineup, which had 13 points. Lopes junior guard Julianna LaMendola had team highs for rebounds (eight) and steals (three) but missed nine consecutive shots after making her first shot – a 3-pointer.

Eight Lopes reserves played, going 10 for 17 from the field. Graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas was a game-time decision because of neck issues, but she delivered a team-best five assists in her 14 minutes.

"Sometimes in the zone, people get impatient," Gandy said. "We didn't have enough people on the floor doing their jobs on offense. We'd have one, two, three out of five. Against a zone, you need everybody to do their job so it's easy to see where the open shot is. But when you're throwing the ball, can't catch or putting the ball over your head, rec league gets those steals."

The last time GCU lost eight of its first nine games against Division I opponents was the 2017-18 team, which won 14 of its last 20.

This victory avenged when Saint Mary's lost the 2023 season opener at the buzzer, when Naudia Evans' 3-pointer capped a game-ending, 22-0 run in now third-year Gales head coach Jeff Cammon's first Saint Mary's game. Gradate guard Malia Latu saw to that with 18 points off the bench for the Gaels after entering Sunday at 5.2 points per game.

The Lopes do not return to action until next Sunday, when they play their final nonconference game against Santa Clara (8-3) at home. Mountain West play will start Dec. 17 with a nationally televised home game against UNLV on CBS Sports Network.