PHOENIX – North Carolina Central University had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds, but Grand Canyon was able to escape with a 64-59 win over the Eagles at GCU Arena on Monday, Dec. 11.
The first half of the contest was a back-and-forth affair with NCCU (4-8) and GCU (7-2) trading the lead multiple times, but the Antelopes were able to get in front and take a 38-30 lead to the intermission.
GCU was able to expand the lead out to as many as 10 in the second half, but the Eagles were able to hang tight, and steadily closed the gap. The Eagles were able to hold GCU scoreless for over five minutes in the second period to trim the lead down to just three points at 51-48, and from there it was a fight to the finish.
With less than a minute to go, the Eagles were able to go to the line to shoot one-and-one with an opportunity to tie at 60-59, but GCU was able to grab the rebound on the first attempt and hold off the Eagles to the final horn.
Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) had a team-high 16 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles, and
Pablo Rivas (Colón, Panama) had a strong game in his return to Phoenix with 13 points and eight boards. Reggie Gardner, Jr. (Bowie, Md.) collected 11 points, and
Alston Jones (Kansas City, Mo.) was the fourth Eagle in double-digits with a career-high 10 points.
Jordan Perkins (Greensboro, N.C.) dished out a team-high six assists.
Joshua Braun (Anthem, Ariz.) finished with a game-high 20 points along with seven rebounds for GCU, and he was the only Antelope to score 10+ points. Casey Benson (Tempe, Ariz.) filled the stat book with six points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
NCCU will stay home for the rest of December, as the Eagles host McNeese State on Thursday, Dec. 14 and St. Andrews on Saturday, Dec. 30.
