|
W Basketball
11-16-09
SILVER CITY, N.M. -- Junior guard Samantha Murphy (pictured, Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) scored a game-high 23 points and senior Ashley Hardin (Chandler, Ariz./Marcos de Niza) had team-highs of 10 rebounds and five assists in her first game since injuring her knee last November to lead Grand Canyon University to a 72-43 victory over Western New Mexico Monday.
Senior Stacy Haddow (Chino Valley, Ariz./Chino Valley) and Murphy hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the 'Lopes a 10-2 lead. GCU scored the final the final seven points of the first half to lead 41-25.
Haddow had 12 points.
W Basketball
11-16-09
Grand Canyon University opens the regular season tonight with a 6 p.m. contest at Western New Mexico University.
GCU is coming off a third-straight Pacific West Conference championship and a trip to last year's NCAA West Region. The 'Lopes split two games with Western New Mexico last season. GCU lost at WNMU in the season opener, 75-74, on a last second shot. It avenged the loss with an 80-67 triumph at Antelope Gym.
GCU returns eight players that started at least one game last season and have added an impressive recruiting class that led fellow PacWest coaches to pick the 'Lopes to finish first again in the conference. Junior Samantha Murphy (pictured, Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) was chosen Preseason Player of the Year. She was first-team all-conference and all-West Region last year.
Three other current players, Ashley Hardin (Chandler, Ariz./Marcos de Niza), Stacy Haddow (Chino Valley, Ariz./Chino Valley) and Rosalyn Nelson (Phoenix, Ariz./Deer Valley) are former all-league and/or all-region choices.
W Basketball
11-8-09
TUCSON -- In its final tuneup before the regular season, Grand Canyon University lost to the University of Arizona 83-56 at McKale Center Sunday.
GCU led as late as the 9:00 mark of the first half, 17-16, on a jumper from senior point guard Shareka Purnell (Dale City, Va./Arkansas-Little Rock). Antelope junior Samantha Murphy (pictured, Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep) was game-high scorer with 21 points.
"This was a great opportunity," said Murphy of playing against the Division I foe. "We're not discouraged. We wanted to win but it just didn't turn our that way.
"I'm very optimistic about our season. I still believe we have a great team."
After the Purnell jumper, Arizona went on a 10-0 run, but the 'Lopes rallied to get right back in the game. Senior Dana Iverson (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins) scored off a Purnell assist to cut it to 26-22 with 3:25 left. Iverson finished the game with 10 points.
W Basketball
11-6-09
The Grand Canyon University women's basketball exhibition game against the University of Arizona on Sunday will tip off at 1 p.m. at McKale Center in Tucson.
The schedule on our website had listed the start time as 2 p.m. and has been changed to reflect the correct time. The game can be heard on KTUC AM 1400 in Tucson. Fans can also follow Live Stats on the U of A athletics web site at www.arizonawildcats.com.
Much like the GCU men's basketball team, the Arizona women's team is entering a new era. It began last evening as the Wildcats downed NCAA Division II Fort Lewis (Colo.), 75-60, in exhibition play at McKale Center. Arizona, led by second-year head coach Niya Butts, has five new players and redshirt sophomore Tasha Dickey joining just four players back from the 2008-09 campaign.
Fort Lewis, a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, outplayed the Cats for the majority of the first half and led by two points at halftime. A potent inside-outside game complemented by a 2-2-1 full-court press helped force a number of Arizona's 13 first-half turnovers.
GCU, under head coach Trent May (pictured), has won three straight Pacific West Conference championships.
GAME NOTES
###
W Basketball
11-2-09
Grand Canyon University’s three-time defending Pacific West Conference champion women’s basketball team was selected to win No. 4 in the preseason coach’s poll released Monday at PacWest Media Day.
The Antelopes received seven of the nine first place votes. Dixie State had the other two and was picked second.
“It’s all based on what you’ve done in the past,” said GCU coach Trent May. “It is an honor. Now the challenge is to try to continue our success.”
Two GCU players were selected Preseason All-PacWest including Player of the Year choice Samantha Murphy (pictured, Phoenix, Ariz./Xavier Prep).
MEDIA DAY BROADCAST
|
