LAS VEGAS – Grand Canyon could not just hit repeat to get to the three-peat. The Lopes evolved and grew through new experiences since last March to feel unbridled joy this March. They defended their honor for a WAC Tournament three-peat with Saturday night's 89-82 championship victory over top-seeded Utah Valley at the passionately purple Orleans Arena.
GCU (26-7) punched its Big Dance ticket for the fourth time in five years under head coach Bryce Drew by being the only team to beat Utah Valley – twice – during the Wolverines' last 22 games. The Lopes' NCAA tournament first-round matchup will be revealed on the CBS selection show at 3 p.m. Sunday.
"I'm so thankful," Drew said. "I'm thankful to the Lord I get to coach basketball. I love the sport, and I love being with these guys and coaching. This week was their best week of the season. They were fantastic. With Tyon (Grant-Foster) coming back, there was some concern he hadn't played in about a month. Just incredible how these guys bonded together and played their best week of the year."
GCU led Utah Valley (25-8) for the final 27 minutes of the game by putting six scorers in double figures and holding WAC Player of the Year Dominick Nelson to 2-of-9 shooting with three turnovers. The Lopes played one of their most efficient offensive games of the season, shooting 52% from the field and committing only eight turnovers for the second consecutive tournament game.
Senior power forward JaKobe Coles became the third player on this Lopes team to win the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award with 19.7 points per game, but foul trouble limited him to 19 minutes of play. He still scored 13 points, but the Lopes scored 18 points from Ray Harrison, who noted, "We hoop at GCU, and it just gets even more exciting in March."
The Lopes were leading 33-32 when they shut out the Wolverines for 3 1/2 minutes, extending their lead to 40-33 by halftime with a four-guard lineup. GCU's relentless attack did not back off in the second half, where they quickly built a 52-41 advantage after just five minutes.
Utah Valley cut the lead to just three points at 61-58 with 8:54 to go, but Drew called for timeout, and the Lopes responded, stretching their lead back to 10 points within two minutes following aggressive drives from Harrison and scoring contributions from Williams and Wur.
"He has shown up in this tournament for three straight years and just been incredible, making clutch plays," Drew praised Harrison. "He came all the way across the country to Phoenix. He didn't know anything about us. He's been loyal, which is hard to find today."
Despite Utah Valley guard Tanner Toolson's career-high 28 points on six three-pointers, GCU knocked down 27 of 33 free throws to secure the win. "These guys got in the huddle, and I think Tyon maybe said something first and other guys responded," Drew noted. "One possession at a time, they scored. We got back in the game. And it was such a high-level game. Both teams were making tough shots and plays."
GCU president Brian Mueller shared his perspective, noting the growth of their basketball program. "Four out of five years is unbelievable. Coach Drew and his staff have created a special community here. It just keeps growing," he said, emphasizing the challenge of repeating success.
Utah Valley now prepares for the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) as the automatic qualifiers from the WAC after their loss. Head coach Todd Phillips expressed pride over his team's effort, acknowledging they simply fell short against GCU. “Grand Canyon made some big plays, and we came up short, but I'm proud of our guys tonight,” he said. Toolson echoed those sentiments, stating, "It hurts, obviously. It's something we've dreamed of our whole lives. We got more games ahead of us."
With this championship win, Grand Canyon has secured its third consecutive WAC title and established itself as one of only two programs to achieve this milestone, second to New Mexico State. Now, both teams look forward to their respective tournament journeys with GCU celebrating their championship and Utah Valley determined to make waves as they head to the NIT.