Lopes head to Riverside, seek 23rd straight victory

Saturday, February 22

Riverside, Calif.

2 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

Phoenix, AZ - February 13, 2025, GCU Women’s Basketball defeats Tarleton State 76-60 at Global Credit Union Arena for their 21st victory in a row. (Photo by: Jack Gilday/GCU).

Photo by: Jack Gilday

2/21/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

GCU win plus UTA loss gives Lopes share of WAC regular-season title

By: Nick Macdonald

Saturday, Feb. 22 \| 2 p.m. (Phoenix time) \| Fowler Events Center \| Riverside, Calif.

	CALIFORNIA BAPTIST LANCERS (10-15, 7-4 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (24-2, 11-0 WAC)

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK

THIS GAME

Sporting the nation's longest active winning streak, GCU heads to California Baptist for a Saturday matinee in Riverside.
GCU bested the Lancers 84-55 two weeks ago in Phoenix for its first win in five meetings against CBU.
The Lopes are looking to extend its winning streak to 23 games, but they have not won a game at Fowler Events Center since February of 2022. GCU is 1-4 at CBU since 2020-21.
Graduate forward Laura Erikstrup is 13 points away from 1,000 career points. Achieving the mark would make her the third Lopes player this season to reach the milestone, joining Trinity San Antonio and Alyssa Durazo-Frescas)

STORYLINES

The Lopes are 66-12 at Global Credit Union Arena since Molly Miller took the helm in 2020. The Lopes broke the program's single-season record for home wins with their 15th on Feb. 8 vs. California Baptist, surpassing the record of 14 set in 2010-11. Since 2022-23, GCU is 43-8 at home.
GCU's name highlighted the receiving votes section of the AP Top 25 poll on Feb. 10, earning a vote for the first time in program history and putting the Lopes among 37 teams in the poll. GCU owns the nation's longest active winning streak with 22 straight victories.
A trio of Lopes rank atop the WAC in steals this season, led by graduate Tiarra Brown with 73 (13th in the nation). Brown has 14 games with three or more steals this season and 11 steals over her last three games. Senior guards Trinity San Antonio and Callie Cooper each have 64 to tied for second in the conference. The trio has accounted for 60% of the team's steal count.
Senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is one of the nation's top 3-point shooters, ranking first in 3-pointers per game (3.9), second in 3s made (89) and fourth in 3-point percentage (46.1%). The senior has knocked down four or more 3s in 11 games this season and recently set the all-time GCU single season record for 3s on Feb. 13, when she passed Samantha Murphy's mark of 86 from 2010-11.
Graduate forward Laura Erikstrup is second on the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game and ranks 11th in the country in field goal percentage (60.1%). Erikstrup has 22 games with double-digit point totals and has seven double-doubles on the season. Erikstrup leads the WAC in points (394) and is averaging 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds during conference play.
GCU is one of the most efficient teams from the floor in the nation, ranking fourth in field goal percentage (49.6%). The Lopes have shot 50% or better 17 times this season, with only four games under 40%.
The Lopes' 3-point shooting has been stellar, shooting 40% or better in six of its last seven games. GCU has made seven or more 3s in seven of 11 WAC games.
Head coach Molly Miller ranks fifth among active coaches in winning percentage (.843) with nine or more seasons of coaching. She trails only Geno Auriemma (UConn), Kim Caldwell (Tennessee), Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Jeff Hans (Northern Kentucky).

WAC TITLE IMPLICATIONS

GCU enters Saturday's contest 2 1/2 games ahead of UT Arlington in the WAC standings. A GCU win and a UT Arlington loss Saturday would clinch at least a share of the WAC regular-season title.
The Lopes seek their first WAC regular-season championship in program history.
GCU plays UT Arlington next Thursday in Arlington, Texas.

LAST TIME THEY MET

GCU broke a four-game series losing streak to the Lancers two weeks ago in Phoenix, winning 84-55.
Tiarra Brown led the team with 22 points, adding five assists, four steals and a block. Laura Erikstrup tallied her seventh double-double, recording 15 points and 13 rebounds.
GCU knocked down 11 3s and went 11 of 13 from the free throw line. The defense limited CBU to 5-of-21 shooting from deep, while the Lancers shot 10 of 16 from the charity stripe (62%).

SCOUTING THE LANCERS

CBU enters 10-15 overall and 7-4 in conference play, eyeing a top-four seed in the WAC Tournament with five regular-season games left.
The Lancers have won two straight since its defeat to GCU in Phoenix on Feb. 8, with one of those wins against second-place UT Arlington at home.
Emma Johansson leads the WAC in blocks (52) and blocks per game (2.1), while Aniayah Tu'ua is 13th in the nation and second in the WAC in assists per game (5.9).
CBU averages 25.3 attempts from 3-point rage per contest, making 8.1 per game (second in the WAC). The Lancers also lead the conference with 27.3 defensive rebounds per game.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes split next week between the road and home, first facing UT Arlington on Thursday before returning home and hosting Seattle U on Saturday, March 1.