Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus Colorado State on December 31, 2025 , Loss , 47, to, 61
W Basketball
vs Colorado State
L 47-61
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Wednesday, January 14
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m. (MST)
Grand Canyon
5-12,4-3Mountain West
65
vs
51
Nevada
7-10,3-4Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Nevada
7
18
17
9
51
Grand Canyon
11
15
20
19
65
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
GCU pulls away again for back-to-back wins
1/14/2026 8:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Douglas' career-high 20 points, Zounia's 2nd-half 15 fuel Lopes
Outscoring opponents earns wins, but the Grand Canyon women's basketball team seeks more to build success.
Stacking victories is not predicated just on making shots. It is what has changed behind the scenes with the Lopes' mindsets and habits to show now in their first back-to-back wins.
GCU moved into a fourth-place toe in the Mountain West on the strength of a crunchtime 19-2 run that set up Wednesday night's 65-51 conference triumph against Nevada at Global Credit Union Arena.
The Lopes (5-12, 4-3 MW) ended the Wolf Pack's three-game winning streak by holding Nevada (7-10, 3-4 MW) to one made field goal over a 10-minute stretch and getting a career-high 20 points from graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas.
"The hardest part was we had to go through some losses," GCU head coach Winston Gandy said. "They had to make up their minds, 'Do you want to win?' If you do, there are things you've got to do. They've played really well. It hasn't been the same people, but enough people are doing what it requires. I'm just happy for them where they see that it's no secret. When you practice the right way, prepare the right way, treat the game the right way and do things the right way, you're able to perform at level you want."
The Lopes made every necessary response to win with a strong start and finish for the second consecutive game.
GCU leading scorer Chloe Mann missed all nine of her shots, but the Lopes' decisive run was sparked by her playmaking. She dished out a career high-tying seven assists for the second consecutive game and recorded the best plus-minutes on team. The Lopes were plus-15 in her 28 minutes and minus-one when she sat out for 12 minutes.
Back to a sixth man role for this 3-1 Lopes stretch, Douglas was more about finishing with big closes to each half while sinking 8 of 12 shots on night.
Lopes freshman Ines Zounia was dealt a black eye in her two-point first half and responded with 15 second-half points. She finished with a season-high 17 points, making 7 of 11 shots from the field that began with her off-ball cuts and fastbreak finishes before she her two late 3-pointers helped seal the win.
"We started with a good energy." Zounia said of GCU's second half. "We wanted to keep going and have a win. We had to put in more and more. He (Gandy) said, 'It's the team who wants it more that can win.' So we went back with more energy and with more aggression. He said, 'It's our game,' and we went with this mindset."
GCU junior guard Kaitlyn Elsholz, who became a starter four games ago, continues to spark her team after being out of the rotation at times. She earned two stops on her own and knocked down two long jumpers that helped the Lopes to an 11-3 lead.
Even when that margin was reduced to a 26-25 halftime edge, GCU still could feel good about its defense because Nevada was having to score with individual play. The Wolf Pack did not record a first-half assist but made eight turnovers, two of which came on junior guard Sifa Ineza's steals.
The Lopes maintained the pressure by continuing to use a 12-player rotation that kept Nevada to 39% shooting. During the 19-2 run, Nevada went four consecutive possessions without putting the ball on the rim in large part because of a block by senior forward Anisa Jeffries' block and a steal by Mann.
The Lopes outrebounded the Wolf Pack 39-26, the largest margin for a Nevada opponent to win the boards this season.
"We're playing hard," Gandy said. "We're playing with more competitive spirit, and that covers up a lot of stuff. We weren't perfect, but they played really hard. You play harder for longer, the odds are in your favor."
GCU junior guard Julianna LaMendola also registered 17 points, giving her back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the first time since mid-November. Seven of her points came during the decisive 19-2 run.
Douglas was also clutch during that stretch, as she did when she kept the team ahead at halftime with nine second-quarter points. Douglas hustled for a pair of putback scores, made off-ball cuts to get open and used her speed for half-court and full-court drives, including a crossover move.
This season, Douglas is shooting 45% from the field and averaging 10.7 points as a reserve and shooting 24% and averaging 4.3 points as a starter.
"I was just doing what the defense was giving me and being aggressive," Douglas said. "My shot was falling, so I just kept taking it.
"We've been trying to get over this hump, and I think we've finally found it. We'll try to keep stacking games and take each game as it goes and keep building."
GCU put a 39-point second half on Nevada, which entered Wednesday with the Mountain West's second-best scoring defense at 58.2 points allowed per game. Only Boise State and San Franicsco have scored more on Nevada than the Lopes' 65 points Wednesday night.
That brutal nonconference schedule and its corresponding setbacks are bearing fruit for a GCU team with one returning rotation player and a new staff. The Lopes have a chance to pass New Mexico next after the Lobos (12-6, 4-3 MW) fell into a fourth-place tie with GCU and Boise State by losing 73-56 at San Diego State on Wednesday night.
The Lopes visit The Pit at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for a nationally televised game on FS1.
"You see people growing," Gandy said. "You see people getting better. You see people making different mistakes. I tell people make different mistakes because different mistakes mean you're growing."
Stacking victories is not predicated just on making shots. It is what has changed behind the scenes with the Lopes' mindsets and habits to show now in their first back-to-back wins.
GCU moved into a fourth-place toe in the Mountain West on the strength of a crunchtime 19-2 run that set up Wednesday night's 65-51 conference triumph against Nevada at Global Credit Union Arena.
The Lopes (5-12, 4-3 MW) ended the Wolf Pack's three-game winning streak by holding Nevada (7-10, 3-4 MW) to one made field goal over a 10-minute stretch and getting a career-high 20 points from graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas."The hardest part was we had to go through some losses," GCU head coach Winston Gandy said. "They had to make up their minds, 'Do you want to win?' If you do, there are things you've got to do. They've played really well. It hasn't been the same people, but enough people are doing what it requires. I'm just happy for them where they see that it's no secret. When you practice the right way, prepare the right way, treat the game the right way and do things the right way, you're able to perform at level you want."
The Lopes made every necessary response to win with a strong start and finish for the second consecutive game.
GCU leading scorer Chloe Mann missed all nine of her shots, but the Lopes' decisive run was sparked by her playmaking. She dished out a career high-tying seven assists for the second consecutive game and recorded the best plus-minutes on team. The Lopes were plus-15 in her 28 minutes and minus-one when she sat out for 12 minutes.
Back to a sixth man role for this 3-1 Lopes stretch, Douglas was more about finishing with big closes to each half while sinking 8 of 12 shots on night.
Lopes freshman Ines Zounia was dealt a black eye in her two-point first half and responded with 15 second-half points. She finished with a season-high 17 points, making 7 of 11 shots from the field that began with her off-ball cuts and fastbreak finishes before she her two late 3-pointers helped seal the win."We started with a good energy." Zounia said of GCU's second half. "We wanted to keep going and have a win. We had to put in more and more. He (Gandy) said, 'It's the team who wants it more that can win.' So we went back with more energy and with more aggression. He said, 'It's our game,' and we went with this mindset."
GCU junior guard Kaitlyn Elsholz, who became a starter four games ago, continues to spark her team after being out of the rotation at times. She earned two stops on her own and knocked down two long jumpers that helped the Lopes to an 11-3 lead.
Even when that margin was reduced to a 26-25 halftime edge, GCU still could feel good about its defense because Nevada was having to score with individual play. The Wolf Pack did not record a first-half assist but made eight turnovers, two of which came on junior guard Sifa Ineza's steals.
The Lopes maintained the pressure by continuing to use a 12-player rotation that kept Nevada to 39% shooting. During the 19-2 run, Nevada went four consecutive possessions without putting the ball on the rim in large part because of a block by senior forward Anisa Jeffries' block and a steal by Mann.
The Lopes outrebounded the Wolf Pack 39-26, the largest margin for a Nevada opponent to win the boards this season.
"We're playing hard," Gandy said. "We're playing with more competitive spirit, and that covers up a lot of stuff. We weren't perfect, but they played really hard. You play harder for longer, the odds are in your favor."
GCU junior guard Julianna LaMendola also registered 17 points, giving her back-to-back double-digit scoring games for the first time since mid-November. Seven of her points came during the decisive 19-2 run.Douglas was also clutch during that stretch, as she did when she kept the team ahead at halftime with nine second-quarter points. Douglas hustled for a pair of putback scores, made off-ball cuts to get open and used her speed for half-court and full-court drives, including a crossover move.
This season, Douglas is shooting 45% from the field and averaging 10.7 points as a reserve and shooting 24% and averaging 4.3 points as a starter.
"I was just doing what the defense was giving me and being aggressive," Douglas said. "My shot was falling, so I just kept taking it.
"We've been trying to get over this hump, and I think we've finally found it. We'll try to keep stacking games and take each game as it goes and keep building."
GCU put a 39-point second half on Nevada, which entered Wednesday with the Mountain West's second-best scoring defense at 58.2 points allowed per game. Only Boise State and San Franicsco have scored more on Nevada than the Lopes' 65 points Wednesday night.
That brutal nonconference schedule and its corresponding setbacks are bearing fruit for a GCU team with one returning rotation player and a new staff. The Lopes have a chance to pass New Mexico next after the Lobos (12-6, 4-3 MW) fell into a fourth-place tie with GCU and Boise State by losing 73-56 at San Diego State on Wednesday night.
The Lopes visit The Pit at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for a nationally televised game on FS1.
"You see people growing," Gandy said. "You see people getting better. You see people making different mistakes. I tell people make different mistakes because different mistakes mean you're growing."
Team Stats
Nevada
GCU
FG%
.393
.410
3FG%
.286
.190
FT%
.455
.786
RB
26
39
TO
14
13
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Pts
20
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
1
Pts
4
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
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