Grand Canyon basketball falters down stretch at Seattle U, ends 14-game winning streak
For the first time in WAC play, Grand Canyon couldn't find that extra gear to close out a game and lost Saturday night at Seattle U 86-79 — the Lopes' first loss since Nov. 19.
Seattle's 17-3 run in the final 4:56 snapped the nation's second-longest active winning streak at 14 games. GCU went 62 days without a loss. Its last loss came on a neutral court against South Carolina on Nov. 19.
GCU still is in command of first place in the WAC, but the Lopes (17-2, 7-1) are in the midst of their hardest road stretch of the season.
This week they travel to face Stephen F. Austin on Thursday and UT Arlington on Saturday before returning home, where they're 10-0, on Feb. 1 in a rematch with Seattle U (11-8, 4-4).
Seattle improved to 10-0 at Redbird Arena this year, as it shot 51%, including 50% from beyond the 3-point arc (10 for 20). It was GCU's worst defensive performance this year.
Some of that had to do with Gabe McGlothan and Collin Moore both fouling out. Seattle's late run took advantage of their absences, and the Lopes had no answer.
McGlothan had 28 points and Tyon Grant-Foster had 25 to lead GCU. It was the first time the Lopes had two players score at least 25 points in the same game since 2015.
Cameron Tyson, who was returning from an injury, scorched GCU with 25 points, making five of 8 3-pointers.
GCU missed 14 free throws, going 30 for 44 at the line. The Lopes have struggled in recent games at the free-throw line.
Grant-Foster, McGlothan and Ray Harrison (11 points) took 44 of their team's 54 field goals, as the Lopes shot just 39%.
GCU also had only two blocks after coming into the game averaging 5.7 a game, which ranked ninth in the country. The Lopes committed 14 turnovers and got outrebounded by one.
Grant-Foster missed a drive to the basket that would have given the Lopes a three-point lead with two minutes left.
GCU did not make a field goal in the last five minutes.
"There are things we can control as a team, things we can get better at," coach Bryce Drew said in the postgame radio interview with GCU. "These guys have not lost in two months. Now it's a new season and we have to get better."
Drew felt when Moore, his best defender fouled out, that changed the game.
"That really hurt," he said. "The big drive by Tyon. He had been so good at transition all year. He went to the rim and wasn't able to finish. It's a play he's made all year. That changes the game."
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU falters down stretch at Seattle U, ends 14-game winning streak
