Aggie men stun Grand Canyon in non-conference basketball showdown
UC Davis snaps Grand Canyon's 18-game home winning streak, 75-68
PHOENIX - Coming into Wednesday's non-conference men's basketball game against UC Davis, the Antelopes of Grand Canyon University had not lost in their Global Credit Union Arena home in nearly two seasons.
The Aggie men, however, ended that 18-game home win streak with some clutch play down the stretch to shock GCU, 75-68.
"This team needed a win like this," said an enthusiastic Aggie head coach Jim Les.
"If we can play like that on the road in a place like this, we can win everywhere."
Les has challenged his team in the early season with a difficult schedule that has already included stops at Washington and Stanford.
The Antelopes were 16-0 at home last year and regularly play before sellout crowds in their home arena. Wednesday was no exception, as 7,002 fans showed up, expecting yet another victory.
Grand Canyon was 30-6 a year ago, earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, then defeated fifth-seeded St. Mary's in the first round before falling to No. 4 Alabama.
The lead changed hands 10 times in the early going, but UCD's TY Johnson, who entered the game as the nation's leading scorer at 28.3 points a game, led an Aggie rally that opened up a 46-35 lead at the half.
Johnson had 17 points in the first half and helped to quiet what is always an enthusiastic crowd at Global Credit Union Arena.
Grand Canyon clamped down on Johnson in the second half, but his teammates stepped up to lead UCD to a 55-39 lead on a fast break slam by Nils Cooper with 14:11 remaining.
