Grand Canyon, a team that had to rediscover itself after an early January overtime win at Sam Houston, found out exactly what it is made of after knocking off the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament semifinal 78-75 on Friday night before a pro-GCU crowd of Havocs at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Now, after beating Sam Houston again, the fifth-seeded Antelopes (23-11) are riding their longest winning streak (five) of the season into Saturday night’s WAC Tournament championship game.
GCU will face the winner of the later semifinal between Utah Valley and Southern Utah. Saturday’s winner receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
This was Jovan Blacksher Jr.’s team, before the Preseason WAC Player of the Year saw his season end on Jan. 5 with a knee injury against Sam Houston.
It then became the Ray Harrison Show. Harrison fouled out with just seven points, his least-productive game as an Antelope, after averaing 21 points through the WAC portion of the schedule.
Now they realize it is everybody. They all need to show up. They all need to take turns helping in this push to get to the dance.
“I think it speaks volumes to the hard work and progression that these guys have made,” coach Bryce Drew said. “I’ve seen how hard they’ve worked.”
On Tuesday, it was Harrison going for 30 in the first round against UT Arlington in the first round.
Thursday, it was Gabe McGlothan going off with a record scoring binge of a career-high 35 points with 10 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Seattle U, a team that owned the Lopes in two regular-season meetings.
Friday, it was freshman Kobe Knox, in the biggest game of his life, nailing 3s like it’s in his backyard.
All six shots that he took were from behind the arc. All of them went in. He also made all three of his free throws for a career-high 21 points, before fouling out.
“Coming into the game, we knew the corner shots would be open,” said Knox, who was thrust into a starting role because of injuries this season. “Coach Drew told me to stay ready to shoot. After I hit a couple, everybody on the bench was saying, ‘Stay hot.’ “
He got help, though.
Guard Chance McMillian (17 points), who became the point guard after Blacksher was lost for the season, once again is enjoying WAC Vegas. He made clutch shots in GCU’s second-half surge. And when Sam Houston was scoring at will in the paint, Drew turned to a diamond-and-one defense with McMillian at the top making it hard for WAC Player of the Year Qua Grant to find an avenue to penetrate.
Sam Houston settled for jump shots and went 0 for 9 in one stretch as GCU countered with points.
The Lopes erased a seven-point deficit and surged ahead.
“I always believed in staying ready,” McMillian said. “Whenever my time came. Coach Drew trusted me in that role. I’ve been confident in myself.”
But GCU had to weather a 10-0 Bearkats run to reassert itself in the end.
It was the local kid from Phoenix, Noah Baumann, in his final college season, nailing the biggest basket of the year, a deep 3 that gave GCU a 76-73 lead with 51 seconds to play. He ended up with 17 points and made 4 of 7 3s.
GCU made 16 of 30 3-pointers, as McMillian nailed 5 of 9 from the arc. The Lopes shot 54% in the game.
Sam Houston (25-7) had a chance, however, to take the lead, down 76-75 with eight seconds left. But center Kaosi Ezeagu missed his first free throw. GCU called time out. Ezeagu missed the second free throw. McGlothan rebounded, got the ball to Walter Ellis, who swished two free throws with five seconds to play.
Sam Houston got the ball to the guy it wanted, Grant, but his awkward, well-guarded, off-balance 3 at the buzzer missed, and GCU kept alive its improbable season.
“What a great college basketball game,” Drew said. “Grant (24 points, eight assists) was sensational tonight. They’re a real good basketball team. Kobe Knox, what he did was pretty remarkable. He comes from a family that knows nothing but hard work. And Chance, a credit to him. He got put in the point guard role with Jovan injured.”
Two years ago, in Drew’s first season at the helm, GCU won the WAC title to punch its first ticket to the dance.
This time, it will have to beat either Utah Valley or Southern Utah on Saturday to get there again, after losing to New Mexico State in the semifinals last year.
The mostly GCU crowd should boost the Lopes, who felt the energy from the hundreds of students who drove up for the weekend.
“It had a huge effect,” Knox said of the fans. “Our fans are the best in the country. You saw how strong they are. When they’re loud, it makes us plays harder.”
McMillian quickly jumped in.
“It felt like a home game,” he said
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at[email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert
