WBB Newsletter: Lopes Rule the Valley, Big 24 Hour Stretch, Weekly Power Rankings
WBB Newsletter: Lopes Rule the Valley, Big 24 Hour Stretch, Weekly Power Rankings
GCU gets a win in crosstown rivalry; SFA, SUU come up with big wins; and weekly power rankings.
TEMPE, Arizona- In their two previous matchups against power conference teams, against Arizona State last year and Oregon just a couple of weeks ago the GCU women’s basketball team came up just short.
On Friday afternoon in Tempe, it looked like it was going to be déjà vu for the Lopes as Arizona State chopped a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to four with 3:13 left.
But to the rescue came Naudia Evans with a pair of clutch 3-pointers in a 60-second span, including one she banked in from the top of the key, as GCU hung on for a 66-59 win.
With the win GCU moved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in WAC play, ranked 18th in this week’s collegeinsider.com women’s basketball mid-major poll.
Olivia Lane led the Lopes with 18 points and 13 rebounds, including an impressive 12-14 from the free throw line.
Evans finished with 15 points, connecting on a trio of shots behind the arc while Tiarra Brown (12 points and seven rebounds) and Trinity San Antonio (10 points, four assists, three steals) also had double digit scoring days.
GCU shot an impressive 64 percent for the opening quarter, led by Evans who posted a perfect 4-4 mark, as they led 18-17 after a quarter. Arizona State was 3-5 in the opening quarter from 3-point range.
Both offenses struggled in that second quarter, combining to shoot 10-29 as intermission came with the teams tied at 29.
Trayanna Crisp scored Arizona State’s opening five points of the third quarter as they took a 35-34 lead with 7:20 left.
However, the Lopes went on an 11-0 run to take a 44-34 lead. Anna Ostile came through with a late shot clock 3-pointer in that stretch and GCU led 46-36 with 30 minutes gone.
Evans, who on opening night hit the game winning shot as GCU rallied from a 19-point deficit to defeat St. Mary’s, hit two of her three shots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter to withstand a late ASU run.
GCU is off until Dec. 17 when they visit an Idaho squad who only lost to Oregon by eight this week.
Big 24-Hour Stretch
The GCU win was part of a 24 hour-stretch for #WACHoops women’s basketball that might be the best stretch of the season.
The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks recorded a top-30 collegeinsider.com poll win over Portland (an NCAA tournament representative from the WCC), 76-71, at The Sawmill.
Kurstyn Harden dominated the paint with 21 points and 14 rebounds. And Kyla Deck was her usual self with 14 points for Leonard Bishop’s crew who won their fifth straight
Southern Utah also played arguably its best game of the season. Tracy Mason’s team dominated from start to finish at The Pit in Albuquerque in a 58-40 win over a 7-win New Mexico squad.
Three high-quality wins in a span of 24 hours is exactly what the WAC needed.
WAC Teams in the NET Rankings:
As we bow out of non-conference for a couple of weeks let’s take a look at the NCAA Net Rankings as of yesterday…
California Baptist
Grand Canyon
Stephen F. Austin
Abilene Christian
Southern Utah
Utah Tech
Utah Valley
Tarleton
UT Arlington
UTRGV
Seattle U
Weekly Power Rankings
California Baptist
Grand Canyon
Stephen F. Austin
Abilene Christian
Southern Utah
Utah Tech
Utah Valley
UT Arlington
Tarleton
UTRGV
Seattle U
It might not have been pretty on Saturday afternoon in Malibu but the Lancers found a way to win without their best stuff and give Jarrod Olson career win 400.
Grand Canyon stays in the second spot after their Power 5 win at Arizona State on Friday afternoon.
Even though they split the week, SFA moves to three with its win over Portland and a close loss at Alabama.
ACU moves into the fourth spot with a competitive showing in a loss to TCU.
Southern Utah goes up to fifth with a win at New Mexico, a perennial mid-major power.
The most notable drops were from Utah Tech who went 0-2 on the week with losses to CBU and Weber State, and Tarleton, who fell against Northwestern State and UIW.