History repeats itself.

The 6th Annual Grudge Match between the Grand Canyon University Bowling teams and Arizona State University kept with the tradition of exciting finishes.

Both teams battled back and forth at GCU's Thunder Alley. However, the Sun Devils snatched the victory in the final match to capture a 15-11 victory between the crosstown rivals. ASU grabbed its second victory in back-to-back years and leads, 4-2, in the all-time series.

"It was great to be back in that environment after a two-year hiatus," said Lopes' Head Bowling Coach Ben Canfield. "The lane conditions were brutal – some of the toughest I've seen in a long time."

The first 18 matches consisted of a variety of doubles, trios, and quad style baker matches. The difficult lane conditions proved to be a hinderance for the Lopes as the Sun Devils led, 11-7, going into the final four games.

"The team did their best to keep their spirits up," said Canfield. "We got off to a slow start but were able to claw our way back in the early team baker matches due to the performance of our women's and JV Team."

The final team baker matches were worth two points each, and victories from the women's team and the JV1 team tied the match at 11. The Lopes' comeback was halted in the final two matches and ASU sealed their victory.

"Overall, they responded well and encouraged each other through the difficulties," said Canfield. "In the end, the result of the match came down to the very end, and I'm confident that the team will use what we learned on Saturday to prep for the next time we have the opportunity to compete."

GCU will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational and the Collegiate Shoot-Out on December 18-19 and 20-21, respectively.