The Grand Canyon University men's basketball team has made history by clinching their first-ever outright Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season championship, solidifying their top dog status with a crushing 68-47 victory over California Baptist. As the number one seed, the 'Lopes now enjoy a direct pass to the WAC tournament semifinals, where their quest for a consecutive championship win will continue this Friday, according to 12news.com.
By skipping the initial rounds of the tournament, GCU's position in the brackets means they'll be watching from the sidelines until the latter part of the week, with their first game set for 6 p.m. on March 15 at the Orleans Arena in Sin City. The scheduling quirk is a result of their double-bye, a juicy perk reserved for the top two seeds in the WAC's elimination bash. Their fans might be itching to see them in action, but they'll have to wait, as Arizona Sports reports.
This illustrious position was no fluke: GCU has been on fire this season, kicking things off with a blistering 17 wins out of their first 19 games. It’s been a performance that echoes the echoes of a basketball symphony, striking the right notes all season long till they struck a sour chord with back-to-back losses to Tarleton State and Abilene Christian. Yet the 'Lopes recovered beautifully, ending on a high note with three straight wins to wrap up at 27-4 overall and 16-3 in the WAC, detailed by 12news.com.
Topping off their Saturday night win, GCU's former Arizona State behemoth Duke Brennan left his own mark, hitting the first three-pointer of his career – a booming exclamation point to a team firing on all cylinders. The big man netted 14 points, led the team in rebounds with six and swatted away four blocks, while Tyon Grant-Foster claimed the mantle of top scorer with 19 points, as per the details from Arizona Sports.
The WAC Tournament Championship game is slated for March 16 at 8:30 p.m., with hopes riding high for a GCU triumph that would punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, bringing the intensity of March Madness once more to the heart of the Grand Canyon faithful. Between now and then, the 'Lopes will lay in wait, resting and strategizing, ready to take the hardwood by storm in a season that's already etched their name in the annals of their conference.
