Men’s Basketball Falls to Grand Canyon in WAC Double OT Battle

Sophomore Anthony Eaves shoots over Grand Canyon's Oscar Frayer during today's WAC contest at the JCC.

Box Score

CHICAGO – Chicago State men's basketball closed out its weekend home swing at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center this afternoon with a thrilling double-overtime contest against Western Athletic Conference foe Grand Canyon with both teams having four players that scored in double figures.

The visiting Antelopes bounced back from a double-digit halftime deficit to send the game into extra periods before claiming an 85-77 win.

CSU opened the game with an early 10-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game with freshman Patrick Szpir (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) scoring six of the team's points during the run. A Szpir layup at the 11:27 mark gave the home team its biggest lead at 21-8.

GCU would go on to score 13 of the next 22 points in a nine-minute span to pull within 30-21 with 2:26 left in the half that ended with a three-pointer from DeWayne Russell. Jumpers from Szpir and senior Trayvon Palmer (Milwaukee, Wis./Brown Deer) in the final 1:30 hiked the Green and White's advantage to 34-21 going into halftime.

Down 36-23 with 18:42 remaining in the second half, the Lopes produced a 26-6 scoring run over eight minutes that turned into a 49-42 lead at 10:07 that concluded with a three-pointer from Russell. The Cougars responded with a quick 13-6 scoring drive through three minutes to even the score at 55-55 at the 5:32 mark after sophomore Fred Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill./North Lawndale) canned a three.

After the visitors later went back ahead by a 66-63 margin with 39 seconds left in the half, CSU tied the score at 66-66 when sophomore Anthony Eaves (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) hit a three and a last-second three missed the mark for GCU sending the contest into overtime.

Both teams battled through three ties and three lead changes in the first OT period before the Lopes pulled away in the second overtime session with a 12-4 margin to capture the victory.

CSU held advantages over GCU in field-goal percentage (41.7-39.0), blocked shots (6-1), points in the paint (42-40), fast break points (8-6) and bench points (11-8).

Sims, Jr. paced the Cougars (6-18, 1-6) with 21 points, while Eaves tallied career highs of 19 points and seven assists. Palmer finished the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds to record his WAC-leading 13th double-double, and Szpir connected on 6-of-7 from the field to post a season-best 12 points.

Grand Canyon (14-8, 4-2) were led by Russell's game-high 25 points, and Keonta Vernon posted a double-double of 24 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

CSU opens the month of February with a WAC road contest at league-leading New Mexico State on Feb. 4 beginning at 8 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Anthony Eaves: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#15 Trayvon Palmer: G/F; 6' 6"; Senior

#14 Fred Sims, Jr.: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#23 Patrick Szpir: F/C; 6' 9"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#5 Anthony Eaves
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#15 Trayvon Palmer
: 6' 6"; Senior
: G/F

#14 Fred Sims, Jr.
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Patrick Szpir
: 6' 9"; Freshman
: F/C

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned