California Baptist University
14-11,7-7WAC
Grand Canyon University
24-2,14-1WAC
The Lancers Push the Top-Seeded Lopes to the Brink in Phoenix
2/17/2024 11:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
PHOENIX--- The California Baptist University men's basketball team nearly played spoiler on Saturday night, pushing the top-seeded Grand Canyon Lopes to the brink in Phoenix. The Lopes would ultimately claim the game 79-76 to defend its unbeaten home record and keep a firm hold of the Western Athletic Conference's top seed.
The Lopes, who are receiving votes in the Associated Press National Poll and are currently third in the Mid Major rankings, move to 24-2 and 14-1 in conference play with the win. Meanwhile, the Lancers fall to even in WAC play at 7-7 and are currently tied for fourth in the conference with SFA.
PLAY-BY-PLAY:
The Lopes and Lancers played a very even opening half of basketball, with the two teams posting nearly identical shooting numbers in the opening 20 minutes. The Lancers held the lead through nine minutes of play. However, the Lopes would steal momentum away with an 8-2 run and would not relinquish it the rest of the half. Kendal Coleman would convert a layup in the waning seconds of the frame to bring the score to 30-29 in favor of GCU heading into halftime.
Hunter Goodrick started the second half strong with a long ball triple in the opening ten seconds of play to gain the lead for CBU. The Lancers and Lopes would exchange blows for the majority of the half, with neither team holding a two-score advantage until the eight-minute mark of the second half. The Lopes took a four-point lead with eight minutes remaining, but the Lancers would respond in force with five unanswered points to regain the lead.
Tyon Grant-Foster, the Lopes's leading scorer, struggled most of the night to find his shot, but Grant-Foster would come up with two critical triples in the final three minutes of play to hold off the Lancer upset bid. GCU would score nine points in the final two minutes of play and hold on to the 79-76 win at home. The three-point game was the closest any conference opponent has gotten to beating GCU this season at home.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
The Lancers ended with 48% shooting from the floor and, for just the third time this season, shot 50% from the perimeter on nine makes. The Lopes also shot 48% from the floor but outscored the Lancers at the free-throw line 17-9. The Lopes are the fifth-best team in the nation at getting to the line and attempted 25 in the game.
Blondeau Tchoukuiegno was the show on offense for the Lancers, tying a career-high with 23 points on 9-15 shooting from the field. The 23 points were the most Tchoukuiegno has scored in a Lancer uniform, and he dished out a team-high five assists to boot. Scotty Washington and Hunter Goodrick recorded double-digit scoring efforts with 18 and 11, respectively, before fouling out in the game's waning minutes.
Both teams played a very clean ball game, with each team only turning the ball over seven times, which was a season-low for the Lancers.
NEXT: The Lancers head to the Lone State State for a Texas two-step against Abilene Christian on Thursday and Tarleton on Saturday.
