Grand Canyon won their first NCAA Tournament game in upset fashion as they took down the 5th seed Saint Mary’s.
The Lopes defeated Saint Mary’s 75-66 on Friday at Spokane Arena in their third tournament appearance since moving up to Division I in 2013.
In its two previous NCAA Tournament appearances, GCU suffered first-round defeats. In 2021, they fell to No. 2 seed Iowa as a No. 15 seed, followed by a loss to No. 3 seed Gonzaga as a No. 14 seed in the subsequent year.
The victory by Grand Canyon was not your usual upset as the underdogs showed greater strength, speed, and aggression than Saint Mary’s. The Lopes finished with eight steals and nine blocks. Saint Mary’s, champions of the West Coast Conference, played a very passive game.
In the second half, Tyon Grant-Foster scored 13 of his 22 points, fueling a crucial 15-1 run for the Antelopes. They led 50-35 with less than 12 minutes remaining.
Gabe McGlothan scored 12 points and blocked three shots, he added seven rebounds and two blocks.
Ray Harrison was clutch in crunch time for Grand Canyon, scoring 15 of his 17 points in the second half. His performance was pivotal in securing a 47-39 victory over Saint Mary’s.
“This is kind of the next step in the maturation of a winning program, is being able to win a game in the tournament,” Grand Canyon coach Bryce Drew said. “And for myself — and I think for our program and for our school — it is just a huge step. Some more people can realize how special a school GCU is and hopefully the effort we gave tonight, hopefully we can follow up with a great effort on Sunday [against fourth-seeded Alabama].”
Grand Canyon will have to face off with the nation’s best-scoring squad. Alabama has not scored fewer than 71 points in any game this season. They effortlessly secured a first-round victory over Charleston with a commanding 109 points.
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