Freshmen Alessandro Lever, Damari Milstead key GCU's win over Seattle

Alessandro Lever had 30 points, but it was three bench players who in the end proved the difference in Grand Canyon's 76-64 victory Thursday night over Seattle before a sellout crowd of more than 7,000 at GCU Arena.

Forward Matt Jackson had nine points off the bench. Freshman point guard Damari Milstead hit a clutch 3 that helped snap the Antelopes out of their slumber with a little more than six minutes to play. And Gerard Martin hit a 3 with 1:51 left to give GCU a 68-59 lead. Fifteen seconds later, Martin scored off a turnover and GCU could breathe easy.

Those all helped GCU (18-10, 7-5) snap its three-game losing streak and pull within a game of Seattle (19-9, 8-4) in the Western Athletic Conference with two games left.

"We've got to stay focused for 40 minutes," coach Dan Majerle said. "But we made some big shots. ... Gerard hit a a huge 3 and Damari hitting a 3. Yeah, I put them through the ringer this week. They ran a lot of sprints Monday and Tuesday. Nobody complained. Everybody went after it. Hopefully, that stuck in."

Milstead was so good down the stretch that Majerle stuck with him and didn't call starting senior point guard Casey Benson back into the game.

"I was surprised, but Coach Majerle has a lot of confidence in me," Milstead said. "I knew my name was going to be called in the second half. I just had to be ready. When I got in, I wanted to be that spurt for the team."

Lever had a career high in points and converted 14 of 15 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds.

His relentless work on the boards, going up against 7-foot-3, wide-body Aaron Menzie, was big. He ended up getting Menzies to foul out.

"I think he's 285 pounds, so he's much slower than me," said Lever, who is 6-10. "I faked shots to try to get him up."

After Seattle took its first lead, 49-47, on a jumper by guard Jordan Hill (12 points), GCU continually looked for Lever in the block, where he was able to draw fouls. He made 10 of 10 free throws in the final 8:51.

The learning curve is coming along for Milstead, who has gained confidence late in his first college season.

"He's got to take care of the ball a little better, but he's got no fear," Majerle said. "He didn't play much in the first half. He didn't play very well. But Casey was a little tired and I said I was going to go to him.

"I never took him out and he handled it really well."

Takeaways

• Defensively, this was as good as GCU has played this season. The Antelopes kept Seattle to 34.5 percent shooting in the first half and only 2 of 11 from the 3-point arc. They also got after it on the glass with a 25-18 rebounding edge at the half, building a 35-26 lead.
• Senior guard Josh Braun was the anticipated go-to answer coming into the season. But during WAC plays, it's been 6-foot-10 freshman forward Alessandro Lever and sophomore wing Oscar Frayer as the Antelopes' most reliable go-to answers on offense. Lever had 12 points and Frayer seven in the first half. Lever scored eight points during a 3:24 stretch late in the first half that gave his team a 10-point cushion. He had four offensive rebounds, three during that surge. Braun did make two of the three shots he took in the half, but it is obvious he is not the main option, mainly because he isn't able to get free for open shots.
• Seattle made 46.4 percent of its field goals in the second half, but the Antelopes were determined on the boards. They had 41 rebounds and got 7-foot-3 Aaron Menzies to foul out in the second half. He had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Up next

GCU is back home Saturday at 7 p.m. to play Utah Valley, which beat the Antelopes earlier this season.

GCU basketball schedule

Saturday, Feb. 24 - Utah Valley, 7 p.m., TV: Yurview Cox 4, GCU.TV, Radio: 1580 AM and 99.3 FM The Fanatic.

Saturday, March 3 - CSU Bakersfield, 7 p.m., TV: Yurview Cox 4, GCU.TV, Radio: 1580 AM and 99.3 FM The Fanatic.

March 8-10 - WAC Tournament, at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas