Still holding out hope of moving up to clinch a first-round bye in next week's Arizona Women's Basketball League Playoffs, the Grand Canyon University Women's Club Basketball Team 1 took care of its own business in emphatic fashion Saturday morning, exploding for 55 points in the first and third quarters combined to defeat Park University JV Team 1, 85-48, at the Canyon Activity Center on the GCU campus. The win closed out the regular season schedule for the Lopes, and the 85 points was easily the most points GCU has scored in a single game this season. The victory ensured that the Lopes wouldn't drop below Park in the AWBL Standings, but Park's loss in the next game to Arizona State University Club helped the Sun Devils clinch the #2 seed in the postseason (and a first-round bye) and keep the Lopes in the #3 spot.
 
It was easily the best 40-minute performance of the season for the Lopes as they never trailed, using hot shooting and unselfish passing to build a 27-13 lead after one period, and extending the cushion to 22 points at halftime. A 28-point 3^rd-quarter effort helped build the lead to 43 points at one point in the 2^nd half. The balanced offense for Lopes' Head Coach Josh Braun was evident from the outset, since eight different GCU players scored in the first quarter alone. Three GCU players finishing in double figures, with Lopes' grad student Taylor Hibicke making the most of her final regular season game by leading the way with 16 points, and Daniela Lopez and Katelyn Laccinole each chipping in 13 points. Buccaneers' freshman point guard Kinzey Hutchings kept Park (6-6 in AWBL play) in it for a while, sinking five three-pointers en route to a game-high 25 points.
 
The Lopes will take an 8-4 AWBL mark into the single-elimination AWBL Playoffs to face a familiar opponent: 6^th-seeded GCU Team 2, who narrowly lost to Arizona Christian University Development, 63-60, Saturday in the regular season closer for both teams. The matchup of Lopes' squads will commence the AWBL Quarterfinals at 9AM next Saturday, February 24^th. A Team 1 win would send them to the semifinal round against 2^nd-seeded ASU, while a first-round upset would send Team 2 to face top-seeded Bella Vista College Preparatory in the semis.
 
The full AWBL Playoff schedule is below (all games played at Canyon Activity Center-GCU campus):
Saturday, February 24th
 
9AM (Quarterfinals)
#4 Park Team 1 vs. #5 Arizona Christian
#3 GCU Team 1 vs. #6 GCU Team 2
 
10:30AM (Semifinals)
#1 Bella Vista Prep vs. lowest remaining seed
#2 Arizona State vs. highest remaining seed
 
Noon (Championship Game)
TBD