2024-25 WAC Men's Basketball Release - Week 14

GCU KNOCKS OFF PREVIOUSLY UNBEATEN UVU FOR TOP SPOT IN THE WAC
Grand Canyon ended what was an impressive 10-game winning streak overall by Utah Valley, which featured a perfect 7-0 start to conference play, with an emphatic 75-57 win by the Lopes in Phoenix on Feb. 1. GCU never trailed in the game and shot 47.6 percent from the field as a team, with four players finishing in double figures to lead a balanced offensive attack. By way of its sixth straight win in WAC competition, GCU moved to the top spot in the league standings by matching UVU’s record of 7-1.

THE STREAK THAT WAS BY UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley’s impressive 10-game winning streak spanned from Dec. 18 until the showdown with Grand Canyon on Feb. 1, which included a big UVU home victory over GCU in Orem on Jan. 9. The Wolverines shot a sizzling 48.3 percent from the field as a team during the winning streak, outscoring the opposition 78.9 to 66.1 on average over the 10 wins. Utah Valley added an average of 38.6 rebounds per contest and 6.7 team blocks per game.

TGF ADDS ANOTHER WAC POTW HONOR IN BIG WEEK
Grand Canyon guard Tyon Grant-Foster captured his second WAC Player of the Week award of the season following a 2-0 surge that vaulted the Lopes into first place in the conference. Grant-Foster averaged 20.0 points and 7.0 rebounds across the wins, which included a season-high 24 points in a victory over Seattle U on Jan. 30. Grant-Foster contributed 16 points and seven rebounds to the big GCU win against Utah Valley on Feb. 1.

UTA’S CONFERENCE STREAK MOVES TO FOUR STRAIGHT
UT Arlington remained on a hot streak in conference play last weekend by leveling its league record at 4-4 with four straight WAC victories. The Mavs defeated Southern Utah 70-68 on Jan. 30 and Utah Tech 73-71 on Feb. 1 during a homestand at the College Park Center. Lance Ware earned a third WAC Newcomer of the Week award after averaging a near double-double last weekend, chipping in 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 56.5 percent from the floor. Ware erupted for a career-high 26 points in the win versus Utah Tech to help lead the Mavs to the conference win.

NATIONAL RANKINGS IN THE NCAA
Tarleton State was second in turnovers forced per game in NCAA Division I as of Feb. 4, forcing 17.6 turnovers per game. The Texans also checked in sixth in steals per game (10.1). Grand Canyon ranked third in free throws made per game (19.7), Utah Valley was third in blocks per game (6.0) and Abilene Christian slotted eighth in steals per game (9.8).