Regular season ends at Utah Tech, home vs. Abilene Christian

Thursday, March 6

St. George, Utah

7 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

Utah Tech

Photo by: Jayden Todd

Regular season ends at Utah Tech, home vs. Abilene Christian

3/5/2025 10:33:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Lopes to honor senior players after Saturday afternoon's game

By: Nick Macdonald


Grand Canyon Lopes (27-2, 14-0 WAC)	vs.	Utah Tech Trailblazers (5-22, 1-13 WAC)	Abilene Christian Wildcats (19-10, 8-6 WAC)
		Thursday, March 6 7 p.m. (Phoenix time)	Saturday, March 8 2 p.m.
		Watch Live Stats	Watch Live Stats

THIS GAME

Closing in on the final two regular-season games of the 2024-25 campaign, GCU brings in a nation-best 25-game winning streak and a 14-0 WAC record.
The last team to go undefeated in regular-season WAC play was California Baptist (14-0) during the 2020-21 season. GCU is aiming to become only the third team to go undefeated in WAC regular-season play since 2010-11 (2020-21 California Baptist and 2016-17 New Mexico State).
GCU is 18-0 at Global Credit Union Arena this season. Only TCU (19-0) has more home wins than the Lopes.

STORYLINES

The Lopes are 67-12 at Global Credit Union Arena since Molly Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU 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 44-8 at home.
The GCU duo of graduate Tiarra Brown and senior Trinity San Antonio are tied 15th nationally and lead the WAC with 81 steals apiece this season. San Antonio is 17th in the country with 2.89 steals per game, and has 17 steals over her last three games. Lopes senior guard Callie Cooper is third in the WAC with 67 steals.
GCU senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas is one of the nation's top 3-point scorers, ranking first in 3-pointers per game (4.04), second in total 3s made (105) and third in 3-point percentage (46.9%). The senior has knocked down four or more 3s in 14 games and has 16 3s over her last three games. She is nine 3s shy of tying Becky Hammon's WAC single-season record of 114 3-pointers made during her 1998-99 season at Colorado State.
Graduate forward Laura Erikstrup is third on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game and is 19th in the country in field goal percentage (58.2%). Erikstrup has 24 games with double-digit point totals and has eight double-doubles on the season. Erikstrup is second in the WAC in points (423) and is averaging 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds during WAC play.
GCU is one of the most efficient teams from the floor in the entire nation, ranking third in field goal percentage (49.3%). The Lopes have shot 50% or better as a team 18 times this season, with only four games under 40% as a squad.
The Lopes' 3-point shooting has been stellar, shooting 40% or better in eight of its last nine games. GCU has made seven or more 3s in nine of 14 WAC games. It's 38.6% clip is fourth best in the country.
Head coach Molly Miller ranks fifth among active coaches in winning percentage (.844) with nine or more seasons of coaching. She trails only Geno Auriemma (UConn), Kim Caldwell (Tennessee), Kim Mulkey (LSU) and Jeff Hans (Northern Kentucky).

SCOUTING REPORT

Utah Tech enters 5-22 overall and 1-13 in WAC play.
The Trailblazers attempt 29.4 3s per game, the fourth most in the nation. Their 9.0 3s made per game are first in the WAC and 16th in the country.
Utah Tech is also proficient at the free throw line, ranking third in the league in free throws made per game (12.3).
Chardonnay Hartley is one of the best passers in the country, ranking sixth nationally in assists per game (6.3) and fourth in the WAC in assists/turnover ratio (1.56 to 1).
Emily Isaacson is second in the conference behind Durazo-Frescas in 3s made (71) and is 21st in the nation in 3s per game (2.6).
Abilene Christian is 19-10 overall and 8-6 in conference action.
The Wildcats defense forces 21.8 turnovers per contest, 14th most in the nation.
ACU is 30th in the country and third in the WAC in steals per game (10.9) and has a rebound margin of plus-4.7, second best in the league.
Meredith Mayes and Bella Earle ranks third and fourth, respectively, in rebounds per game (7.5 and 7.2).
Mayes is also second in the conference in blocked shots (32).

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU clinched the WAC Tournament No. 1 seed for next week in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Lopes will play Wednesday at noon (Pacific time) between the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 play-in matchup between Utah Tech and Seattle U.