Newest hardware in the trophy case.

Blowing through its first six opponents by double-digit margins, the GCU Men's Club Basketball team finished off a perfect 7-0 weekendby beating Air Force Academy Club, 53-47, in the championship game of the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association Basketball National Championship Series in Madison, Wisconsin. The victory earned the Lopes its first national championship trophy in club basketball in their second trip to the championship game in the last three years.

Pool Play

GCU's tournament got started with a pair of pool-play wins against the University of Loyola (MD), 48-27, and the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, 52-39. The 21-point win over the Greyhounds was highlighted by stout GCU defense as Lopes' Kaden Manna earned player of the game honors, while the win over the Eagles was all about early offense as David Black led the Lopes to a 40-18 lead early in the 2^nd half. The two pool-play wins guaranteed GCU a top seed entering bracket play the following day. 

Bracket Play

GCU began the first round of bracket play with a 57-44 win over the University of West Virginia, led by freshman guard Jack Brackmann's13 points.

"That first win over West Virginia really set the tone for our tournament performance," said GCU Head Coach Lamont Lane. "Not only could we score, we felt good about our defense."

In the next bracket-play game, GCU sophomore guard Yeshua Brice's 14 points and four rebounds led the Lopes to a 62-35 win over King's University College from London, Ontario, Canada.

Quarterfinals: Arizona State University

Despite being 1,700 miles away, the Lopes ran into a familiar foe (and one they had lost to earlier this season) in the ASU Sun Devils, clashing once again in the quarterfinal round. This time around, the Lopes tightened up their defense and came away with the 48-30 win.

Semifinals: Texas A&M University

In the semifinal round, the Lopes faced off with the 2023 NIRSA National runners-up in the Aggies. Employing a full-court press, GCU's defense once again propelled them to a 55-34 victory.

Championship Game: Air Force Academy

The Lopes' title run culminated in a nail-biting, back-and-forth affair with the Air Force Academy. The two teams ended the first half in a tie, and the second half was just as close. Down two points late in the game, GCU's Shay Milshteen made his presence felt with a clutch mid-range jumper to tie it up. David Black then sealed the win with a long three-point shot. 

Black earned NIRSA All Tournament MVP and 1^st Team honors. Brackmann and Manna earned NIRSA Freshman All Tournament 1^stTeam honors. Harrison Fletcher and Izayah Elize earned NIRSA All Defensive Team honors.