SEATTLE — The purple wave of Grand Canyon’s March Madness journey crashed against the steady tide of Maryland, with the Terrapins overpowering the Lopes 81-49 in a first-round contest. The Friday afternoon game, played in the electric atmosphere of Seattle, showcased Maryland’s fourth-seeded might against GCU’s spirited 13th-seed challenge.
Maryland started the first half determined to set the tone, maintaining an aggressive defense and solid scoring from the beginning. Maryland Terrapins forward Julian Reese was a crucial player in the halftime score, accumulating 18 points and nine rebounds. Reese’s 18 points were a close match to GCU guard Tyon Grant-Foster, who scored 16 in the first half. Despite this strong start from both key players, Maryland took an assertive 42-28 lead at halftime.
GCU head coach Bryce Drew said, “I really think they opened the door in the first five minutes for us to build a lead. Once they got the lead, it just snowballed. Once they took away our energy level, they exposed us in a lot of ways.”
Aside from the final score, GCU entered the game with a positive mindset and strong confidence. Even though the Lopes didn’t take the win, they had many positive takeaways—such as one of their top senior guards, Grant-Foster, stepping into the spotlight. Grant-Foster had just returned from a four-week injury layoff during the WAC Tournament, making his bounce-back performance even more impressive. He finished with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists to close out his season.
Grand Canyon ends the 2024-25 basketball season ranked 11th nationally in steals per game, as well as within the top 60 teams in the NCAA NET rankings. GCU walked away from this tournament with a light heart, knowing they were truly challenged and can continue to grow from this experience.
Grand Canyon University’s women’s basketball falls to Baylor in March Madness
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Dulce Antonsen covers general assignments in The Valley for Burn City Sports.
