History was made Friday night.
The Grand Canyon men’s basketball advanced in the NCAA tournament, earning the first March Madness victory in program history.
The 12th-seeded Lopes beat the No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s Gaels 75-66.
Tyon Grant-Foster led the way with 22 points. Colin Moore, Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlothan all also scored in double-figures.
The Lopes hit 27/34 free throws and struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 5/18 from three. But they attacked the basket consistently and tallied eight steals and nine blocks on defense.
McGlothan, who struggled in the WAC tournament and had been dealing with a leg injury, was the man in the middle against Saint Mary’s, who is the top rebounding team in the country. He tallied 12 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
History has been made, but that doesn’t mean the Lopes are done. They will take on the fourth-seeded Alabama. The No. 4 Crimson Tide beat Charleston 109-96 in their opening-round game.
Jordan Hamm
