3-ball guides Lopes to 20-point win at Utah State

Wednesday, January 28

Logan, Utah

11 a.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

7-14,6-5Mountain West

Utah State

6-14,2-9Mountain West

Grand Canyon

Utah St.

1/28/2026 1:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU's Valenti-Paea leads with 16, joins 3 Lopes in double figures

By: Nick Macdonald

LOGAN, Utah – It was an early-morning rise for Grand Canyon at Utah State, where the Lopes and Aggies tipped off at 11 a.m. Wednesday for Field Trip Day.

It was the Lopes who stayed up for an early lead against the Aggies, paving the way to an 86-66 GCU victory at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The Lopes (7-14, 6-5 Mountain West) knocked down a season-best 13 shots from 3-point range, led by graduate guard Casey Valenti-Paea making four 3s for most of her team-high 16 points.

Moving to 4-2 in MW road games, GCU produced season highs for assists (21) and field goals made (32) while shooting 57% from the field and grabbing 42 rebounds, the Lopes' sixth game of the season with 40 or more boards. The Lopes moved to 5-1 in such contests.

Lopes senior forward Anisa Jeffries came off the bench for the first time this season after missing the previous game for illness, but she still posted seven points and three rebounds in the first quarter to help GCU to a 16-8 lead.

"The way we started defensively was awesome," GCU head coach Winston Gandy said. "No coincidence that it was our best defensive quarter. We had a lot of help, obviously. Casey opened up the basketball for us. Chloe (Mann) did a good job pushing pace and defending, which really allowed us to capture that momentum."

Valenti-Paea, whose previous season high was nine points, nearly doubled that by sinking four 3s in the first half with three coming in the second quarter. Her four made 3-pointers matched her career high from a December 2023 game.

"My coaches poured into me all week," Valenti-Paea said. "My teammates just kept giving me encouragement. They know and I know I can knock that 3 down. I went out there and knew what I could do. I was confident and shot the ball."

The Australian was not the only GCU contributor from beyond the arc as junior Julianna LaMendola, freshman Ines Zounia and graduate Ale'jah Douglas also each knocked down a 3 in the second quarter.

"I do think we've been taking good shots," Gandy said. "When our players spend the time outside of practice to work on the craft, it shows. I hope the rest of the way, if nothing else, we have a new routine."

The Lopes' 28 second-quarter points put them ahead 44-28 at halftime and was one point shy of its season scoring high, a 29-point fourth quarter at Oregon.

GCU's leading scorer, Mann at 13 points per game, went into halftime without a field goal attempt. That changed in the third quarter, when the sophomore guard notched six points that included a 4-of-4 clip from the free throw line. The Lopes had another 20-plus scoring quarter with eight contributors in the third quarter.

"We have a lot of threats," Valenti-Paea said. "I feel like people underestimate us a lot. We have such a diverse group. We can do anything with the ball, whatever we put our minds to."

Holding a double-digit lead since the second quarter, Utah State opened the fourth quarter with a 13-3 run to trim the lead to 70-62.

Mann's acrobatic layins and a pair of 3-pointers from Jeffries and senior Karley Johnson pushed that lead to a comfortable 19 points.

Valenti-Paea added seven boards and two steals to her 16-point outing while Jeffries finished the day with a team-best eight boards to go wtih 14 points and four assists. Douglas (11 points) and Mann (10) also tallied double figures while LaMendola finished with eight points, six rebounds and four assists.

After playing three of its past four games on the road, GCU returns home to face Wyoming (7-12, 4-6 MW) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on Arizona's Family 3TV and streamed on Mountain West Network.

"That'll be another test for us," Gandy said.