Eliav Gabay
The last time the Lopes lost was November 19th, 2023.
Since then, Bryce Drew and his guys have been absolutely electric, rattling off a 13-game winning streak and opening conference play 6-0 thus far.
Grand Canyon has held opponents to an average of about 67 points per contest in that span.
Their 16th victory came against Tarleton State, 74-48. 16-1 matches the best record in the nation.
.@GCU_MBB has won 13 straight ‼️@Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/7hyO4ZHrJF
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) January 14, 2024
There’s no doubt, regardless of conference, that this program has earned serious consideration for the Top 25 AP Poll.
A squad full of veterans in both the frontcourt and backcourt with a great coach and a clear definition of roles feels like the perfect March Madness formula too.
If there’s been anything to pinpoint as an aspect of the game to focus on moving forward, it’s the slow starts.
Going into this game against the Texans, GCU’s last three wins saw them come back from down 16, nine, and seven to survive.
The same theme applied to tonight’s matchup, when the Lopes stared down a 18-4 deficit before flipping the game on its head and closing the half on a 16-0 run.
“What I love about the guys tonight was our backs were to the wall,” Drew said. “It wasn’t just to the wall that we weren’t playing hard. They were just outplaying us and out-toughening us in every phase of the game. The guys collectively knew they had to play tougher. The last 25 minutes was fun to watch, how they competed and the intensity that we played with.”
After trailing 18-4, the Lopes closed the first half strong to take the lead & go up 36-29.@Sports360AZ
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) January 14, 2024
They continue to hang their hats on the defensive end – not allowing Tarleton State to score for six minutes straight in two separate spans of the game, per GCU Athletics.
As this terrific season continues for GCU, the team’s length across the board will be instrumental in exposing mismatches and keeping their defense as sharp as it’s been, especially in March.
Their next chance to add to the win steak will come on Thursday at 7 PM as Grand Canyon hosts Utah Valley.
