SEATTLE – Seattle University men's basketball held Western Athletic Conference leader Grand Canyon scoreless in the final two minutes of play Saturday night, claiming an 86-79 win over the Lopes.
The win was Seattle U's third in the past four meetings against the Lopes. It also came on the heels of a grueling three-game road swing in Texas. The Redhawks moved to 11-8 on the season and an even 4-4 in WAC play. GCU fell for just the second time this season and the first time in conference.
"I'm really proud of this team. Coming off a tough road trip and battling injuries, they came back with amazing energy today," said Head Coach Chris Victor. "I'm just proud of their resolve and their believe in each other. This was a special win for us."
Returning from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury, Cameron Tyson led the way with 25 points, including five threes and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. Kobe Williamson had 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting while John Christofilis also added 15 points. Alex Schumacher finished with 13 points and six assists to round out the Redhawks' double digit scorers.
Gabe McGlothan had 28 points to lead the Lopes before fouling out late in the game. Tyson Grant-Foster had 25 points and Ray Harrison finished with 11.
Seattle U held the Lopes to just 39% shooting and 7-of-25 from three. With 53 total foul calls, GCU earned 10 more trips to the free-throw line, but hit just 30-of-44 in the seven-point loss.
The Lopes led by as many as nine early before Seattle U's offense found its form. GCU led 44-42 at the break.
A 67-67 tie at the 7:45 mark of the second half was followed by a 7-0 GCU run. But the Redhawks responded with a 12-4 run capped by a Christofilis three to take a 78-77 lead with 2:43 to play.
McGlothan would answer with two free throws to briefly give the Lopes the lead back, but Tyson jump-started the game-ending 8-0 run with a three and GCU would go without a bucket for the remainder of play.
Seattle U remains home for a second consecutive game, hosting Utah Valley on Friday, Jan. 26. Tip off from the Redhawk Center is 6 p.m. The game will air live on ESPNU.
Stay connected with Seattle U men's basketball and get all the latest team updates by downloading the GoSeattleU mobile app available now for free in the App Store or Google Play.