Grand Canyon lost a chance to make a big statement during its trip through the South.

The Lopes (6-4) had won four straight with their full team, after getting center Duke Brennan back from an injury.

But in a 73-68 loss to Georgia (9-1) on Saturday, followed by a 74-66 loss to Louisiana Tech on Monday, their biggest star, WAC Preseason Player of the Year Tyon Grant-Foster, had his two worst games since joining the Lopes last year and leading them to an historic 30-win season.

He shot a combined 2 for 25 in the losses, missing all 13 3-pointers he took. This is baffling for last year’s WAC Player of the Year, who averaged 20 points in his first college season in two years, leading the Lopes to their first NCAA Tournament win last season.

To make matters worse Monday night at Louisiana Tech (10-2), guard Ray Harrison was only 1 of 10 shooting, making just 1 of 7 3-pointers, two days after he led GCU with 16 points, making 2 of 4 3s, against Georgia.

Here are takeaways from this two-game swing as the Lopes look to recover Thursday night at home against 0-12 Chicago State. That will be followed by a 2 p.m. home game Sunday against Saint Louis:

Shooting woes

It wasn’t just Grant-Foster who struggled. The Lopes made only 7 of 27 3-pointers against Georgia and 2 of 27 from behind the arc against Louisiana Tech.

This was supposed to be a roster built to make 3-pointers. JaKobe Coles came from TCU, where he was a 42% shooter from 3. Coles was 1 of 5 from 3-point range against Georgia and 1 of 3 against Louisiana Tech. He led the Lopes with 19 points on 7 of 13 field-goal shooting against Louisiana Tech.

Both Coles and Grant-Foster missed open 3s in the final minute of the Georgia game. If either of them knock down a 3, it could have been a different outcome.

In the 75-68 home loss to UC Davis, the Lopes made just 4 of 25 3-pointers. Even against NAIA Life Pacific, a team the Lopes beat 100-52 before hitting the road, they made only 8 of 28 3-pointers.

On the season, Harrison has made 11 of 40 3-pointers (27.5%) and Grant-Foster 6 of 39 (15%). Last season, Grant-Foster, who made his living at the free-throw line, drawing fouls on quick moves to the basket, made 33% of his 3s (50 of 151), the second-best shooting percentage from the arc on the team, behind Gabe McGlothan (39.8%).

Against Louisiana Tech, the Lopes were within two points with 2:13 left, but got outscored 6-0 in the end.

“Sometimes the ball just doesn’t go in for him,” coach Bryce Drew said in the postgame GCU radio interview about Grant-Foster, who missed the first two games this season. “It’s not going in right now. There’s other parts of his game that he can do. I thought at Georgia he did a great job getting six steals.

“He’s a much better player than he’s playing. My job as a coach is we’ve got to get it out of him. We’ve been trying different things in the last month, and we’re going to keep trying more things to get him back on track.”

Scheduling

Because the WAC and Conference USA were locked into a contract to have non-conference games against each other, GCU had to go to Louisiana Tech in this home-and-home series. Last year, GCU pulled out a 73-70 win over Louisiana Tech at home. This game happened to fall two days after facing Georgia against a pro-Bulldogs crowd at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

“The scheduling has been very difficult,” Drew said. “We would never ever played this game where we played it. It’s the Conference USA challenge with the WAC, so we had this game. We had a chance to play Georgia, a top-40 team, in Atlanta. We didn’t want to turn that game down.”

But Drew added he didn’t want to use the Georgia game as an excuse.

“I’ve got to do a better job in the future with scheduling,” he said. “It’s super hard to get games. Doing a back-to-back basically after a super physical Georgia game, and, for 40 minutes, I think you saw the legs come out a little bit on some of our 3-point shooting.”

Brennan not backing down

The overall play of 6-foot-10 Brennan has been a bright spot since his return from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the first four games.

Brennan had 13 points on 5 of 6 shootings and pulled down seven rebounds against Louisiana Tech. He got big man Daniel Batcho to pick up two fouls and head to the bench after Louisiana Tech jumped out to a 13-2 lead.

GCU pulled ahead of Louisiana Tech late in the first half, but that couldn’t be sustained, as Batcho returned and finished with 19 points and seven rebounds without picking up another foul. Sean Newman Jr., had his season-average nine assists to go with 25 points.

Brennan had 10 points and eight rebounds against a big Georgia team that blocked nine GCU shots. Earlier this season, Brennan played well in the 78-71 Stanford win with 14 points and eight rebounds, going against Maxime Raynaud (29 points, 11 rebounds).

Georgia center Somto Cyril had 12 points, eight rebounds and five blocks against GCU.

“We’ve played three really good centers so far, and you look at those, and they’re as good as any center in the country,” Drew said. “Hopefully, we’re done playing that size and length for a while.

“Obviously, Saint Louis (Sunday’s home opponent) has a good center (Robbie Avila) but he’s a different kind of center. This stuff is going to make us better. It’s going to make our bigs better, our guards better, finishing, and also show what we need to work on in practice to get better.”

Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert

Want to see a gator in Georgia? Then, here’s the best alligator filled places you should head to in the state.

World Atlas has released this list highlighting swamps, rivers, and lakes filled with this ancient predator. Here is the list.

1. Okefenokee Swamp

The Okefenokee Swamp is a large blackwater wetland that straddles the Georgia-Florida line. It has a population of around 10,000 to 13,000 alligators.

The swamp is “known for its dark, tannin-rich waters, lush vegetation, and abundant wildlife, it’s a hotspot for alligator sightings,” World Atlas wrote.

2. Lake Blackshear

Located in Southwest Georgia, Lake Blackshear is a popular spot for fishing and boating. It was created by damming the Flint River and is known for its calm waters, lush vegetation, and plentiful prey.

It is home to around 10,000 alligators and “in 2019, a wildlife biologist found a 13-foot, 700-pound alligator in a ditch side outside of Lake Blackshear,” World Atlas wrote.

3. Altamaha River

The Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers are two rivers in Georgia that form the Altamaha River, one of the state’s largest waterways.

“The Altamaha River has a history of producing large alligators,” the World Atlas wrote. “For example, in 2017, an 11-foot, 3-inch alligator was legally hunted and taken from the river in Brunswick. In 2021, a 12-foot, 5.5-inch alligator was hunted in the river.”

4. Lake Seminole

Lake Seminole is a popular destination for anglers and boaters. It is located between Georgia and Florida and is known for its diverse aquatic ecosystem and thriving alligator population.

“Its slow waters, plentiful food, and ideal breeding conditions make it a perfect habitat for these ancient reptiles,” World Atlas wrote. “In 2023, Meghan Bailey of Carrollton caught a 13-foot, 3-inch gator, the largest of the season. Previous record-breaking catches include Jim Overman’s 13-foot, 10 ¾-inch alligator in 2013 and a 692-pound, 13-foot, 9-inch giant in 2010.”

5. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park

Phinizy Swamp Nature Park is located near Augusta and is a great place to see gators in their natural habitat. The park has a mix of cypress swamps, marshes, and ponds, making it a perfect home for these reptiles.

People visiting the park can often see alligators sunbathing near the boardwalk or swimming in the water.

6. Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a shallow lake located in southern Georgia near Lakeland in Lanier County. It is surrounded by cypress trees and marshes, making it a great habitat for alligators.

“While paddling, watch for alligators sunbathing on logs or gliding just below the surface,” World Atlas wrote. “If you prefer staying on land, you may spot alligators resting on the banks or drifting in the shallow waters while hiking the Banks Lakes Trail.”

7. Satilla River

Satilla River, located in Southeast Georgia, is a blackwater river with surrounding wetlands, a perfect home to alligators.

“While alligators can be seen throughout this free-flowing river, the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Satilla River basin, is especially popular,” World Atlas wrote. “Visitors can explore the area by boat, kayak, or canoe, giving them a unique view of the river’s wildlife and the alligators living there.”

For more information, visit worldatlas.com.

Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.

Georgia wide receiver Rara Thomas has entered the transfer portal.

With the 2024 college football regular season officially over, players around the country will start announcing their plans regarding the transfer portal and the NFL draft. That includes the Georgia Bulldogs, who are currently in the hunt for a national title.

Georgia was very active in the transfer portal last season as they had a good number of players leave the roster while also adding to their roster via the portal. It has become a large phenomenon in college football that all football programs have to deal with every offseason. The transfer portal officially opens on Dec. 9th and will remain open until Dec. 28th. There will also be a window that opens during the spring time, but that isn’t until late April.

The latest Bulldog to enter is wide receiver Rara Thomas who joined the Bulldogs’ roster last season. He transferred from Mississippi State but was suspended indefinitely prior to the 2024 season. The event occurred July 26th, Thomas was arrested for three counts of Cruelty to Children in the 2nd Degree, and three counts of Battery – FV. He was suspended from the team following the incident.

In 2023, Thomas had 23 receptions for 383 yards and touchdown in his lone season with the Dawgs.

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