Tuesday, December 3rd | 7 p.m. | Global Credit Union Arena | Phoenix, Arizona.
	HAWAII RAINBOW WARRIORS (5-1)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (4-2)
REGARD: FOX 10 Xtra (Ch. 45, Cable 9), ESPN+ | HEAR: 1580 The Fanatic | Statistics: view

Tyon Grant Foster is one of the most dangerous scorers in college basketball.

When he doesn’t score as many goals, he is still one of the most dangerous players.

While Grand Canyon returns to winning ways at full strength, the Lopes enter Tuesday night’s home game against future Mountain West opponent Hawai’I. Grant-Foster reminds fans that he was named WAC Player of the Year for more than just his goal scorer.

The Lopes graduate swingman didn’t score in double figures in last Tuesday’s 78-71 win over Stanford, but his fingerprints were all over the win in Palm Desert, California.

In just his third single-digit scoring game at GCU, Grant-Foster’s statistical tally of eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, three blocked shots and one steal betrayed only part of his impact.

At 6-foot-3, Grant-Foster rose among the big men, grabbed eight rebounds and, just as importantly, initiated instant fastbreaks. Away from the glass, it does not require an outlet passage. He dribbled upfield to give GCU quick chances, which were especially crucial against slow Stanford.

“He had a really good ground game,” GCU head coach said Bryce Drew said. “He did a lot of other things out there. His shooting rhythm will come. He missed some shots that he normally makes. They found him often in the matchup zone. That helped open up some holes for other guys.”

Grant-Foster matched his career high in assists and blocked shots, but he could have had three more assists if his teammates missed a layup, passed out of a basket or dropped a pass under the basket. He recorded 13 assists in his first four games this season after not recording his first assist until the fourth game last season.

His rebounding is a continuation of his finishing last season. In four WAC and NCAA Tournament games, Grant-Foster averaged 7.5 rebounds per contest. He has a 7.0 boards average in his first four games this season.

“I didn’t shoot the best, but I feel like last year everyone thought that was the only thing I could bring,” said Grant-Foster, who shot 39% from the field. “I feel like I can do anything and in the last game I showed that I can impact the game in a lot of ways.”

In the first 35 seconds of the second half on Tuesday, Grant-Foster grabbed the first rebound, stunned with a spinning-and-one move and completed an incredible defensive sequence. His post assist triggered a kickout pass from 7-foot-1 Maxime Raynaud, and Grant-Foster still ran to block the ensuing 3-point shot from 6-foot-6 Ryan Agarwal.

It took such an effort to top a first-half play in which he jumped to block a pass and controlled the caramel throw in the air. That put him in position to initiate a fast break with a pass upfield for a 3-pointer from the senior guard Ray Harrison.

“Effort and Defense,” GCU Student Guardian Makaih Williams said. “We all know how talented Tyon is as a scorer, but he did the little things.”

Grant-Foster is still scoring plenty at 16.3 points per game. This requires attention because he is so dynamic in the public session. In a crucial late game against Stanford, Grant-Foster drove up the right side and drew three Stanford defenders into their matchup zone. He launched the ball toward the left sideline, where Harrison made a 3-pointer for GCU’s largest lead at the time.

One trip later, Grant-Foster grabbed a rebound and, despite five Stanford players in front of him, went coast-to-coast for a layup that gave the Lopes a 61-52 lead with 7:23 left.

GCU defeated a previously undefeated team without its star scorer being one of the five Lopes with double-digit scoring.

“Our team is different this year,” Grant-Foster said. “I have other things to do. We have other people who can score. If they score, I can get them the ball and I can do everything else – rebound, play defense, get steals, block shots and other opportunities for my teammates.

“I have the feeling that the goal will come. That’s what I do best. If I continue to play the game correctly, the ball will drop. I had a lot of assists in my career. That was what I was most proud of.”

Lope tracks

• GCU Head Guard Collin Moore is shooting a team-best 44% from 3-point range after making 29.5% of his 3s last season.
• Harrison ranks seventh among active Division I players with 2,073 points. Only Alabama’s Mark Sears (622) has made more free throws than Harrison (547).
• The Lopes rank 20th nationally in free throw points per game (19.3).
• Grant-Foster, Harrison, Moore and the final striker Lök Wur each average at least 1.5 steals per game.
• After a 5-1 home loss, Hawaii plays its first away game at GCU. It is the first meeting of the programs ever.
• The Rainbow Warriors are led by a familiar face: Tanner Christiansen, a Utah Tech graduate. The 6-foot-10 center is averaging 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds and ranks 17th nationally with a 68% shooting percentage from the field. He had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists at GCU in February.
• For the second straight game, GCU will face an opponent that averages fewer than 10 turnovers. The Rainbow Warriors rank 27th nationally with 9.7 turnovers per game.
• The Lopes have outscored their opponents by an average of 16.5 points from the 3-point line over the last two games, shooting 19-for-36 (53%) and holding their opponents to 8-for-36 (22%).