SUU Falls To Top Ranked Grand Canyon University
Southern Utah University (SUU) faced a tough defeat on the road against No. 1 seeded Grand Canyon University (GCU), falling 94-65. This loss pushed SUU's record to 9-15 overall and 4-9 in conference play. Additionally, Utah Valley's victory over Abilene Christian shuffled the standings, leaving SUU in ninth place in the WAC standings, just outside the top eight needed to advance to the WAC Playoff tournament in Las Vegas.
Head Coach Rob Jeter admitted, "We got beat in every facet of the game tonight. It is one of those losses that you try and just put behind you and gear up for the next game."
The game began with GCU quickly establishing dominance, racing to a 29-12 lead that SUU struggled to overcome. Despite efforts, SUU couldn't bridge the gap, trailing by 16 points at halftime and failing to reduce the deficit below 20 in the second half.
Dominique Ford led SUU's scoring efforts with 23 points, while Prophet Johnson contributed 12. Freshman Brock Felder showcased promise, scoring eight points and adding three blocks. However, SUU lacked in distribution, with no player tallying more than one assist.
Rebounding proved to be a significant challenge for SUU, as they were outmatched 50-29 on the boards, with GCU securing 21 offensive rebounds compared to SUU's six.
Off the bench, GCU's Jovan Blacksher Jr. delivered an impressive performance with 18 points in just 18 minutes.
Looking ahead, SUU aims to bounce back as they return home to the America First Event Center to face Seattle U on Thursday, February 15th, at 6:30 p.m. Pre game for that broadcast will begin at 6:20PM on Talk Radio 107-7 and 590 AM KSUB.
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