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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Rapid Recap: GCU 75, Utah Valley 60
3/9/2018 8:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
LAS VEGAS – Grand Canyon is one win away from the NCAA tournament.
The Lopes stepped up to Friday's moment with one of their best defensive performances of the season to knock out second-seeded Utah Valley 75-60 in a Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament semifinal at Orleans Arena.
GCU will play in the 8 p.m. championship game Saturday on ESPNU against the winner of Friday's other semifinal, New Mexico State-Seattle, at Orleans Arena.
The Lopes held the WAC's top scoring and shooting offense to 19 points below its season average. The Wolverines shot 48.6 percent for the season but only 35.5 percent Friday night against GCU. UVU made three of 19 shots from 3-point range against the Lopes' nationally top-ranked 3-point defense.
The Lopes were led by Joshua Braun (15 points, six rebounds), Alessandro Lever (15 points, seven rebounds) and Keonta Vernon (14 points, eight rebounds).
GCU (22-10) dominated the early going, taking a 27-9 lead by controlling both ends of the floor. The Lopes made 11 of their first 17 shots, including scores on six consecutive possessions in a string that started with Lever making 3-pointers on three consecutive trips.
Meanwhile, Utah Valley missed 10 of its first 13 shots and the Lopes maintained the effort to keep the lead in double digits throughout the first half.
GCU lost Lever to his second foul with 9:44 remaining in the first half but Vernon returned and assisted or scored on four of GCU's next five scores.
Just when the Lopes looked like they might slip with a four-minute scoreless spell, they finished strong with Roberts Blumbergs, Oscar Frayer and Braun scoring on the final three possessions for a 41-27 halftime lead. Braun, coming off a scoreless first-round game, made four of six shots in the first half for nine points.
GCU opened its lead to 48-31 four minutes into the second half when Braun scored on a power move while being fouled. The Lopes offense then went into a funk, going scoreless for five minutes to let the Wolverines (22-10) back into the game.
UVU pulled within four points with 7:07 to go but the Lopes offense re-emerged from an unlikely source when Vernon scored eight consecutives Lopes points on two jump shots, two free throws and a layup off Braun's feed. The latter two scores twice put GCU's lead back to double digits, including a 64-54 lead with 2:14 to play.
Return to gculopes.com for Paul Coro's full game recap with comments from Dan Majerle and players.
The Lopes stepped up to Friday's moment with one of their best defensive performances of the season to knock out second-seeded Utah Valley 75-60 in a Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament semifinal at Orleans Arena.
GCU will play in the 8 p.m. championship game Saturday on ESPNU against the winner of Friday's other semifinal, New Mexico State-Seattle, at Orleans Arena.
The Lopes held the WAC's top scoring and shooting offense to 19 points below its season average. The Wolverines shot 48.6 percent for the season but only 35.5 percent Friday night against GCU. UVU made three of 19 shots from 3-point range against the Lopes' nationally top-ranked 3-point defense.
The Lopes were led by Joshua Braun (15 points, six rebounds), Alessandro Lever (15 points, seven rebounds) and Keonta Vernon (14 points, eight rebounds).
GCU (22-10) dominated the early going, taking a 27-9 lead by controlling both ends of the floor. The Lopes made 11 of their first 17 shots, including scores on six consecutive possessions in a string that started with Lever making 3-pointers on three consecutive trips.
Meanwhile, Utah Valley missed 10 of its first 13 shots and the Lopes maintained the effort to keep the lead in double digits throughout the first half.
GCU lost Lever to his second foul with 9:44 remaining in the first half but Vernon returned and assisted or scored on four of GCU's next five scores.
Just when the Lopes looked like they might slip with a four-minute scoreless spell, they finished strong with Roberts Blumbergs, Oscar Frayer and Braun scoring on the final three possessions for a 41-27 halftime lead. Braun, coming off a scoreless first-round game, made four of six shots in the first half for nine points.
GCU opened its lead to 48-31 four minutes into the second half when Braun scored on a power move while being fouled. The Lopes offense then went into a funk, going scoreless for five minutes to let the Wolverines (22-10) back into the game.
UVU pulled within four points with 7:07 to go but the Lopes offense re-emerged from an unlikely source when Vernon scored eight consecutives Lopes points on two jump shots, two free throws and a layup off Braun's feed. The latter two scores twice put GCU's lead back to double digits, including a 64-54 lead with 2:14 to play.
Return to gculopes.com for Paul Coro's full game recap with comments from Dan Majerle and players.
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