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PHOENIX — GCU second-half surge tightened the margin, but first-half efficiency from New Mexico proved decisive in a 70-64 Mountain West Conference loss Wednesday night at Global Credit Union Arena.
The difference in the game largely traced back to the opening 20 minutes.
New Mexico shot 60% from the field and 6 of 9 (67%) from 3-point range in the first half, generating clean perimeter looks and consistent paint touches. The Lobos assisted on eight of their 15 field goals and built a 40-27 halftime lead while controlling the glass 20-13.
Jake Hall scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, helping New Mexico stretch the floor and force defensive rotations that created secondary scoring opportunities.
GCU, meanwhile, shot 31% (10 of 32) before the break and 2 of 12 from beyond the arc. The Lopes’ half-court offense struggled to convert early advantages into efficient shots, forcing them to play from behind for nearly the entire night.
Still, a 7-0 run to close the half provided momentum and stabilized the deficit entering intermission.
GCU Defensive adjustments fuel second-half response
GCU had a measurable response after halftime on both ends of the court.
The Lopes shot 46% (13 of 28) in the second half, attacked downhill more consistently and went 9 of 11 (82%) at the free-throw line. More importantly, they limited New Mexico to 34.6% shooting after the break and cut off clean perimeter rhythm, holding the Lobos to 3 of 7 from deep in the final 20 minutes.
GCU also flipped the rebounding margin, outrebounding New Mexico 21-12 in the second half. That interior presence translated into a 20-8 edge in points in the paint during the period and additional second-chance opportunities.
Makiah Williams helped ignite Grand Canyon’s second-half rally, scoring 13 of his 20 points after halftime and briefly pushing the Lopes in front.
But afterward, his focus wasn’t on the comeback — it was on the early deficit.
“We had a lot of chances to close it out, and we did have momentum for a while, but they hit some shots at the end and we shot some bad ones.”
Brian Moore Jr. added 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while Jaden Henley contributed 11 points and four rebounds. Nana Owusu-Anane anchored the interior with eight rebounds.
The Lopes’ improved shot selection and defensive containment allowed them to chip away possession by possession rather than relying on quick scoring bursts.
Margin for error in conference play
Despite the second-half statistical edge in essentially every meaningful category, the first-half shot-making gap was too much to fully overcome.
New Mexico led for more than 34 minutes, and timely free throws late preserved the advantage. The Lobos finished at 47.1% for the game compared to GCU’s 38.3%, a reflection of the efficiency disparity that defined the night.
For GCU, the game underscored the thin margin in Mountain West play: defensive connectivity and rebounding can shift momentum, but early shot quality and perimeter containment remain critical over 40 minutes.
The Lopes will aim to carry their second-half defensive intensity and rebounding edge into the next conference matchup.
As quoted by Coach Bryce Drew in the Post Game Press Conference, “We are going to have to have A LOT of conversations over these next few days. We’re not the same team as we were two weeks ago. We had two starters go out and we are 2-3 since then. We haven’t played the same level of basketball for 40 minutes. That’s what we’ve got to fix.”
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