2025 WAC Basketball Tournament Central
Box Score
LAS VEGAS – After years of trying and coming up short in the WAC Women’s Basketball Tournament, the Grand Canyon Lopes finally broke through on Saturday and defeated UT Arlington 65-62 in a gritty defensive comeback victory in the WAC championship game to secure GCU’s first ever automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament.
This win marks Grand Canyon’s 30th consecutive victory, breaking the WAC record of 29 straight wins that was set by Louisiana Tech in 2002-03. The WAC women’s championship game drew a crowd of 2,347 fans, setting a new WAC women’s attendance record for games held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
Grand Canyon’s guard Trinity San Antonio capped off a dream senior season by being named the Jersey Mike’s 2025 WAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. This award comes right after being named the WAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. San Antonio recorded 19 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals in the championship game and averaged 17.3 points per game in the tournament.
Grand Canyon’s graduate forward Laura Erikstrup and senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas joined San Antonio on the All-Tournament Team. Erikstrup posted 17 points, seven boards, three steals, two assists and a block while Durazo-Frescas scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds and a steal. Graduate guard/forward Tiarra Brown added to her GCU legacy by notching 12 points, eight boards, three blocks, two steals and two assists while shooting a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Senior guard Callie Cooper had the biggest play of the day as she made the game-winning steal with under five seconds remaining to seal the victory for Grand Canyon.
UT Arlington’s fifth year forward Koi Love came out firing as she scored all of the Lady Mavs’ first 10 points. Love finished the contest with 21 points and recorded the best scoring average of anyone in the tournament who played more than one game with 18.0 points per game. Fellow fifth year forward Avery Brittingham posted 12 points and eight rebounds and senior guard Taliyah Clark collected 11 points, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
The Lopes now await Selection Sunday to see who they will take on in the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. The women’s show will air at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 16 on ESPN.
2025 WAC Women’s Basketball All-Tournament Team
Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, Sr., G, Grand Canyon
Laura Erikstrup, Gr., F, Grand Canyon
Trinity San Antonio, Sr., G, Grand Canyon (Most Outstanding Player)
Avery Brittingham, Fifth, F, UT Arlington
Koi Love, Fifth, F, UT Arlington
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