Down Nine, GCU Women Dominate ASU in Second Half

Late surge carries Lopes past rival Sun Devils

GCU outscores ASU 26-5 over the final 16 minutes to win 58-47

The Grand Canyon women's basketball team overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half to defeat rival Arizona State 58-47 on Sunday afternoon at GCU Arena.

The Lopes (9-2) trailed 36-27 with 16:17 remaining in the game, but they closed the game on a 26-5 run to secure the victory.

GCU was led by junior guard Destiny Smith, who scored a game-high 20 points. Senior forward Katie DeWitt added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and sophomore guard Kiyley Flowers chipped in 11 points.

ASU (6-6) was led by junior guard Jaddan Simmons, who scored 15 points. Sophomore forward Maelys Djoko added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Sun Devils took a seven-point lead into halftime, but the Lopes came out firing in the second half, tying the game at 36-36 with 13:52 remaining.

GCU took the lead for good with 10:46 remaining on a layup by Smith, and the Lopes never looked back.

The victory was GCU's first over ASU since 2008, and it snapped a four-game losing streak to the Sun Devils.

"I'm really proud of our team for fighting back in the second half," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "We showed a lot of grit and determination, and we were able to pull out a big win against a tough opponent."

GCU will return to action on Thursday when they host Fresno State at GCU Arena.