Grand Canyon basketball opens 2023-24 with win; Northern Arizona falls to UConn

Tyon Grant-Foster’s 30 points led Grand Canyon past Southeast Missouri State 88-67 on Monday night in a season opener.

Grant-Foster added three steals for the Antelopes. Isaiah Shaw shot 4 for 7, including 3 for 5 from beyond the arc to add 13 points.

Duke Brennan, a transfer from Arizona State, had 12 points and was 5 of 6 shooting and 2 of 3 from the free throw line.

Adam Larson finished with 13 points for the Redhawks. Josh Earley added 10 points and four steals for Southeast Missouri State. In addition, TJ Biel finished with eight points.

Northern Arizona falls to UConn

UConn unveiled its fifth national championship banner on Monday, then unveiled a new-look team that expects to compete for a sixth title.

Alex Karaban scored a career-high 22 points to lead five players in double figures and the No. 6 Huskies routed Northern Arizona 95-52.

Tristen Newton scored 14 points, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle each had 12 and Samson Johnson added 11 for UConn after a raucous banner ceremony that put a cap on the 2023 title.

“In shootaround when you look up there, that’s something you’re never going to forget about,” coach Dan Hurley said. “But we’ve been working so hard since June to get this team ready to play and no one is really thinking about that. But that was cool. I got emotional.”

The Huskies shot 56% (32 of 57) from the floor and held the Lumberjacks to 34% (20 of 59).

Liam Lloyd led Northern Arizona with 15 points.

The Lumberjacks, who made a surprise run to the title game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament last season, are picked to finish eighth in the league this year in both the media and coaches preseason polls. Coach Shane Bucar brought his team out to watch the pregame festivities.

“We used that as inspiration,” he said. “We want to be the Big Sky champs this year.”

Next up

Grand Canyon’s next game is Sunday against Northern Arizona at home.

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