Grand Canyon advances to WAC semifinals on Gabe McGlothan's career game

With star guard Ray Harrison relatively quiet offensively, Grand Canyon needed somebody to step up to keep the team from returning to Phoenix.

Junior forward Gabe McGlothan, the former Chandler Basha High star, who was big in Las Vegas two years ago to help GCU reach the NCAA Tournament, responded with a career-high 35 points in an 84-79 win over Seattle U on Thursday that avenged two regular-season losses to the Redhawks.

With McGlothan on fire from deep, hitting 5 of 9 3-pointers, and grabbing 10 rebounds, GCU (22-11) advances to the WAC Tournament semifinals at Orleans Arena against No. 1-seed Sam Houston on Friday at 7 p.m.

"Gabe was just sensational," coach Bryce Drew said. "He's been playing such terrific basketball the last three weeks of the season. This game was just a tremendous individual performance.

"What's so special about Gabe is even when he is having special individual performance, everything is team oriented. Everything is within the team concepts."

GCU has won four games in a row since falling to Seattle U by 11 at GCU Arena on a Senior Night when the Lopes scored an NCAA Division I-era low 13 first-half points.

The Lopes scored 29 points in the first half Thursday and trailed by seven, before going off in the second half with 55 points, the most they scored in the second half this season against a Division I opponent.

They started the half on a 15-2 run with McGlothan hitting tough shot after tough shot.

"I think the main thing is we wanted to come in and get a win," McGlothan said. "It didn't matter who was going to do the heavy lifting, we just wanted to get the win no matter what."

Harrison, who had 30 points in GCU's first-round win over UT Arlington, finished with 12 points, five of those from the line in the last 38 seconds.

McGlothan made 13 of 20 shots in the game.

McGlothan's previous career high was 27 points three weeks ago against UT Rio Grande Valley. He had that many points midway through the second half Thursday. But he almost had to go to the bench with a fourth foul with nine minutes to play.

Coach Bryce Drew disputed that number of fouls on McGlothan at the scorer's table. After deliberation among officials, it was changed to three fouls. And McGlothan finished the game.

His fifth 3 gave GCU a 71-58 lead with 5:37 to play.

Freshman guard Kobe Knox made two great defensive plays in a row that led to two straight dunks by him that put the clamps on a Seattle U rally.

Seattle (20-12), led by Cameron Tyson's 27 points, cut it to 72-68, before Walter Ellis nailed a corner 3 out of a timeout with 1:37 left to push the Lopes' lead to seven.

McGlothan credited Drew for drawing up that play in the time out.

"That was huge," McGlothan said.

The Havocs, who travel well, gave the Lopes a huge lift with their ability to energize GCU.

Knox, Ellis, McGlothan, McMillian all were clutch down the stretch.

"When we're at our best is when others step up," Drew said. "During tournament time, you need guys to step up and make plays."

Chance McMillian, Ellis and Harrison each made two free throws in the final 11 seconds to clinch it. McMillian, who also was clutch in GCU's WAC tournament championship drive in 2021, helped get the Lopes going early in the second half when the Lopes took their first lead.

GCU shot 65% in the second half and 58.3% for the game. Seattle U made 42% of its shots and 24 of 31 free throws.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU advances to WAC semifinals on Gabe McGlothan's career game