Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #2 South Carolina on November 3, 2025 , Loss , 54, to, 94
W Basketball
at #2 South Carolina
L 54-94
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, March 15
Las Vegas, Nev.
12:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
32-2,16-0WAC
65
vs
62
(3) UT Arlington
17-13,10-6WAC
1
2
3
4
F
UT Arlington
16
10
22
14
62
Grand Canyon
13
12
19
21
65
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
GCU secures 1st NCAA D-I tourney trip with WAC title
3/15/2025 1:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Lopes rally in 4th quarter for nation-leading 30th consecutive win
LAS VEGAS – Grand Canyon women's basketball came together from all directions and at different times to come together Saturday on the confetti-strewn Orleans Arena floor for a championship celebration.
The yearlong work of a Lopes team and staff to stay together, improve together and succeed together built the nation's best record (32-2), the nation's longest active winning streak (30) and a gut-check WAC Tournament championship win for the program's ultimate moment – its first berth to the NCAA Division I tournament.
After winning its first two WAC Tournament games by 24 and 29 points, GCU needed a fourth-quarter rally against UT Arlington to punch its first Big Dance ticket with a thrilling 65-62 win in front of a GCU-partisan crowd of 2,347 fans.
"We were all destined to come here to meet each other and play with one another," said Lopes senior guard Trinity San Antonio, the WAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "You follow your heart. You follow the path that your life is leading you to and you get what you want."
GCU only led 13 minutes of the game, but the Lopes came up clutch to be ahead for the final five minutes as they leaned on their charged defense until the final seconds, when Lopes senior guard Callie Cooper made a backcourt steal with a one-point lead and four seconds remaining for UT Arlington's 27th turnover.
"It was just staying true and loyal to our identity and brand," said Lopes fifth-year head coach Molly Miller, wearing a championship net necklace on the postgame dais. "We know that this is a good basketball team, and we know what we're capable of. When things didn't go our way. we could have crumbled. But I've got senior leadership. I've got veteran kids that won't give up. They had a look in their eye."
They also had the WAC Player of the Year, senior guard Trinity San Antonio, overcoming an 0-for-6 shooting start and a 12-turnover game to deliver 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
Nine of San Antonio's points came in the fourth quarter, including two jumpers and two free throw trips that were answers to each time UT Arlington made it a single-possession game in the final 3:15. In a three-point win, GCU outscored UT Arlington by 17 during San Antonio's 33 minutes on the floor.
"I kind of just let my mind go at ease and play with the sense of peace that I think works best for me," San Antonio said. "Once I hit that poise level, it was over."
Part of getting there was San Antonio repeatedly finding graduate forward Laura Erikstrup, who scored six points during the 8-0, fourth-quarter run that wiped out UT Arlington's last lead.
Erikstrup, an All-WAC Tournament Team honoree with senior teammate Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, scored 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting by running the floor, posting up and rolling off screens for San Antonio.
It is what Erikstrup, at 6 feet 2, has done all season to go from key bench player last season to one of the nation's most improved players this season with 61.1% shooting, which puts her in the national top 10. She added seven rebounds and three steals.
"I could not be more grateful than to be surrounded by these girls and for the opportunity that they gave me," said Erikstrup, who transferred to GCU when San Antonio did in 2023. "It brings me to tears thinking about it."
The moment was most appropriate for senior forward Tiarra Brown, who was Miller's first recruit to join her sister, Tianna, after Miller took the GCU job in 2020.
The program's Division I leader in points, rebounds and steals improved her free throw shooting greatly this season to 73.2%. She went 8 for 8 at the line, including 4 for 4 at crucial junctures of the final three minutes, and posted a do-it-all line of 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. She had not shot 100% at the line in a game with that many attempts since 2021-22.
"It's outstanding to trust the process and have it turn out in your favor," Brown said.
Breaking Louisiana Tech's 22-year-old WAC record of 29 consecutive wins in a season looked in doubt when UT Arlington led after each of the first three quarters. The Lopes had not trailed entering a fourth quarter since Jan. 18 at Tarleton State.
The Mavericks took their largest lead, 41-31, in the third quarter of the championship game, but Lopes senior guard Anna Ostlie then made one of the game's most pivotal shots. With UT Arlington largely denying Durazo-Frescas, the national 3-point leader, Ostlie knocked down a 3 on a San Antonio feed to start a run that took the 10-point lead down to two.
"I especially credit Trin," Molly said of San Antonio. "She had some roll in and out, but she stayed the course when she was in that huddle. She was locked in, and so that's comes from leadership. T (Brown) was looking her in the eyes saying, 'You got this, you're fine, you're good.' Lau (Erikstrup just leads by example, and you can see her energy and effort into every single play. When we weren't hitting our inside shots, we went to Lau in the third quarter, and she had that no-fear attitude. I was really proud of her to step up."
The Lopes will learn their NCAA tournament first-round fate at 5 p.m. Sunday, when the NCAA Selection Show airs on ESPN.
"We're going to keep the status quo," Miller said. "Whatever we're going to do, we're going to do it because we're going to knock off a few teams in the tournament, and this team out of any one can do it. I'm so excited to go to the Big Dance and even put some more eyes on GCU women's basketball."
The yearlong work of a Lopes team and staff to stay together, improve together and succeed together built the nation's best record (32-2), the nation's longest active winning streak (30) and a gut-check WAC Tournament championship win for the program's ultimate moment – its first berth to the NCAA Division I tournament.
After winning its first two WAC Tournament games by 24 and 29 points, GCU needed a fourth-quarter rally against UT Arlington to punch its first Big Dance ticket with a thrilling 65-62 win in front of a GCU-partisan crowd of 2,347 fans.
"We were all destined to come here to meet each other and play with one another," said Lopes senior guard Trinity San Antonio, the WAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "You follow your heart. You follow the path that your life is leading you to and you get what you want."
GCU only led 13 minutes of the game, but the Lopes came up clutch to be ahead for the final five minutes as they leaned on their charged defense until the final seconds, when Lopes senior guard Callie Cooper made a backcourt steal with a one-point lead and four seconds remaining for UT Arlington's 27th turnover."It was just staying true and loyal to our identity and brand," said Lopes fifth-year head coach Molly Miller, wearing a championship net necklace on the postgame dais. "We know that this is a good basketball team, and we know what we're capable of. When things didn't go our way. we could have crumbled. But I've got senior leadership. I've got veteran kids that won't give up. They had a look in their eye."
They also had the WAC Player of the Year, senior guard Trinity San Antonio, overcoming an 0-for-6 shooting start and a 12-turnover game to deliver 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals.
Nine of San Antonio's points came in the fourth quarter, including two jumpers and two free throw trips that were answers to each time UT Arlington made it a single-possession game in the final 3:15. In a three-point win, GCU outscored UT Arlington by 17 during San Antonio's 33 minutes on the floor."I kind of just let my mind go at ease and play with the sense of peace that I think works best for me," San Antonio said. "Once I hit that poise level, it was over."
Part of getting there was San Antonio repeatedly finding graduate forward Laura Erikstrup, who scored six points during the 8-0, fourth-quarter run that wiped out UT Arlington's last lead.
Erikstrup, an All-WAC Tournament Team honoree with senior teammate Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, scored 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting by running the floor, posting up and rolling off screens for San Antonio.
It is what Erikstrup, at 6 feet 2, has done all season to go from key bench player last season to one of the nation's most improved players this season with 61.1% shooting, which puts her in the national top 10. She added seven rebounds and three steals."I could not be more grateful than to be surrounded by these girls and for the opportunity that they gave me," said Erikstrup, who transferred to GCU when San Antonio did in 2023. "It brings me to tears thinking about it."
The moment was most appropriate for senior forward Tiarra Brown, who was Miller's first recruit to join her sister, Tianna, after Miller took the GCU job in 2020.
The program's Division I leader in points, rebounds and steals improved her free throw shooting greatly this season to 73.2%. She went 8 for 8 at the line, including 4 for 4 at crucial junctures of the final three minutes, and posted a do-it-all line of 12 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals. She had not shot 100% at the line in a game with that many attempts since 2021-22.
"It's outstanding to trust the process and have it turn out in your favor," Brown said.Breaking Louisiana Tech's 22-year-old WAC record of 29 consecutive wins in a season looked in doubt when UT Arlington led after each of the first three quarters. The Lopes had not trailed entering a fourth quarter since Jan. 18 at Tarleton State.
The Mavericks took their largest lead, 41-31, in the third quarter of the championship game, but Lopes senior guard Anna Ostlie then made one of the game's most pivotal shots. With UT Arlington largely denying Durazo-Frescas, the national 3-point leader, Ostlie knocked down a 3 on a San Antonio feed to start a run that took the 10-point lead down to two.
"I especially credit Trin," Molly said of San Antonio. "She had some roll in and out, but she stayed the course when she was in that huddle. She was locked in, and so that's comes from leadership. T (Brown) was looking her in the eyes saying, 'You got this, you're fine, you're good.' Lau (Erikstrup just leads by example, and you can see her energy and effort into every single play. When we weren't hitting our inside shots, we went to Lau in the third quarter, and she had that no-fear attitude. I was really proud of her to step up."
The Lopes will learn their NCAA tournament first-round fate at 5 p.m. Sunday, when the NCAA Selection Show airs on ESPN.
"We're going to keep the status quo," Miller said. "Whatever we're going to do, we're going to do it because we're going to knock off a few teams in the tournament, and this team out of any one can do it. I'm so excited to go to the Big Dance and even put some more eyes on GCU women's basketball."
Team Stats
UTA
GCU
FG%
.451
.390
3FG%
.455
.250
FT%
.733
.750
RB
32
35
TO
27
23
STL
9
12
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
17
FGM
8
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
8
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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