Lopes end Aztecs' 13-game winning streak

Wednesday, January 7

San Diego, Calif.

7 p.m. (MST)

Grand Canyon

3-12,2-3Mountain West

San Diego State

11-3,5-0Mountain West

Grand Canyon

San Diego St.

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

2/4/2026 9:40:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro

Box Score Photo Gallery

GCU defense helps cause MW leader SDSU's season-high 19 turnovers, 1st conference loss

By: Paul Coro

The picture of Grand Canyon women's basketball is changing, with a turnaround that is fading the image of a 1-10 start and sharpening the look of a surging team that is 8-4 since then.

If the flip on the Lopes' record was not enough of a statement, ending San Diego State's 13-game winning streak and pulling away from the Mountain West leader for a 57-44 home win Wednesday night made for an exclamation.

Phoenix, AZ Feb. 4,, 2026: The Lopes win 57-44 against San Diego State at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

GCU won for the sixth time in eight games since taking a 37-9 shellacking n the first quarter Jan. 7 at San Diego State, but the Lopes reversed the margin by 32 points in Wednesday's first quarter alone at Global Credit Union Arena. Just as they dug in to win each of the final three quarters at San Diego State, the Lopes defense made the Aztecs uncomfortable from the start Wednesday night for a 13-9 lead after one quarter.

The lessons learned against veteran teams who closed GCU out with poise came full circle with the Lopes pulling away from a fourth-quarter tie to a resounding 13-point win.

"As a coach, you talk about, 'We can beat anybody,' but as a player, you need to see it and feel it," GCU head coach Winston Gandy said. "I'm thrilled for them. I think we have great buy-in, but we're going to have even more buy-in because they saw cause and effect. We stayed the course, we stayed in character, and we had success."

The Lopes (9-14, 8-5 Mountain West) prompted the Aztecs (17-4, 11-1 MW) to commit a season-high 19 turnovers that GCU turned into 22 points. Lopes sophomore guard Chloe Mann scored nine of her team-high 18 points in GCU's 24-11 fourth quarter, when freshman teammate Ines Zounia put away San Diego State with two follow scores during a 10-0 Lopes stretch run.

GCU's lowest two opponent scoring totals have come consecutively in five days, following limiting Wyoming to 47 points with keeping San Diego State to 44, its lowest total since March 2024.

"We knew what we had," Mann said. "We knew who we had in our locker room, and it's enough. He (Gandy) always tells us that we have enough in our circle, and it's true.

"It feels amazing. I just feel like every ounce of work, every hour and every minute we put in ended up showing today."

Phoenix, AZ Feb. 4,, 2026: The Lopes win 57-44 against San Diego State at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

Senior forward Anisa Jeffries made a driving score on the Lopes' first possession, and they kept the lead for the rest of the first half. San Diego State made 7 of 27 shots in the first half with the Lopes' smaller lineup thriving.

Julianna LaMendola, a 6-foot-2 junior, and Jeffries, who is 5-11, are guards who have moved to the frontcourt and created a Wednesday lineup that could cover the 3-point line by switching on the perimeter while still challenging shots at the rim and winning the boards. LaMendola and Jeffries each grabbed eight rebounds as Gandy played a shorter rotation with Mann and Jeffries each logging 35 minutes.

"There is still a lot to improve on in the post, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help my team to win," said LaMendola, who scored 12 points and added a block and a steal. "If that's me playing the 5 or playing inside more, I don't mind. I want to win. I'm a competitor. Whatever I can do to help my team, I'm going to do."

Phoenix, AZ Feb. 4,, 2026: The Lopes win 57-44 against San Diego State at Global Credit Union Arena. David Kadlubowski/GCU

LaMendola's body bump and fadeaway in the paint gave GCU a 43-37 lead that prompted San Diego State to call timeout with 5:01 remaining. The Aztecs got a free throw out of the timeout, but the blow of a 10-0 Lopes finishing run came with Zounia scoring six of the points and graduate guard Ale'jah Douglas making her third steal on an outlet pass to score on a fastbreak layin.

Despite being a jump-shooting team, the Aztecs led the Mountain West in field goal percentage at 43.5%. They shot 30.4% on Wednesday night against the Lopes' no-foul, hustling contests. GCU rotated briskly with arms wide to use their length in passing lanes.

"We were confident going into this game knowing that we weren't the team that we were when we played them three weeks ago," LaMendola said. "We've improved so much defensively and I think that showed tonight. Our chemistry was there. We knew were a better team than the first time we played them, and that lit a fire under our butts about what we're capable of and what we needed to do to be successful."

GCU's defensive turnaround is reflective of the results, going from allowing 47.5% shooting from the field in the first 11 games (1-10) to limiting opponents to 39.7% shooting in the past 12 games (8-4).

"We did a good job of trying not to foul at the rim and making them double-think about their 3-point shot," Gandy said. "Those were the two biggest keys from the first meeting, when they were very comfortable behind the line and got to the rim at will. Tonight, we played with more force, more spirit, more connectivity. When you play against a great team like that, you have to. If you don't, you have no chance."

At 8-5 in Mountain West play, GCU moved within a half-game of fourth-place teams Colorado State and New Mexico (each 8-4). The Lopes play next at last-place Air Force on Saturday, when they could attain their first four-game winning streak of the season. The staff emphasis on urgency will remain, whether the opponent is at the top or bottom of the MW. The conference's top four teams receive a first-round bye at the Mountain West Championship.

"Every game could be the difference between whether you have to win four in a row or three in a row," Gandy said "The last thing you want to do the last week of the season is beg for help. We have to address one game at time. I do believe we can beat anybody, but I also believe anybody can beat us."