SPOKANE, Wash. — Tyon Grant-Foster scored 22 points, and Grand Canyon joined the list of schools to win an NCAA Tournament game as the 12th-seeded Antelopes knocked off No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s 75-66 on Friday night.
Grand Canyon (30-4) became the second No. 12 seed to pull a late-night upset after James Madison took down Wisconsin. The Antelopes did it with style, slashing and shooting their way to expose the No. 2 scoring defense in the country.
Grant-Foster was the instigator with skills that will likely land him a spot at the next level. Grant-Foster scored 13 in the second half, including a 3-pointer and a thunderous lob dunk during the Antelopes’ decisive 15-1 run that gave them a 50-35 lead with under 12 minutes remaining.
Gabe McGlothan matched the physical post players for Saint Mary’s and added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Ray Harrison finished with 17 points, including a spinning basket on the block with 1:40 left that gave the Antelopes a 69-60 lead. Aidan Mahaney’s 3-point attempt was blocked at the other end – the ninth block for Grand Canyon – and the Antelopes started to enjoy what they were on the cusp of accomplishing.
The Antelopes were just the seventh team this season to reach the 70-point mark against the regular season and tournament champions of the West Coast Conference.
Grand Canyon will face No. 4 seed Alabama in the second round on Sunday.
Grand Canyon fans cheer during the second half of the team’s first-round college basketball game against Saint Mary’s in the men’s NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash., Friday, March 22, 2024. Credit: AP/Ted S. Warren
Grand Canyon moved to Division I in 2017 with grand aspirations. It wanted to be known as a basketball school. It wanted to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Antelopes had been here twice in the past three seasons, losing to Iowa as a No. 15 seed in 2021 and last year falling to Gonzaga as a No. 14 seed.
Now they have a win.
Mitchell Saxen led Saint Mary’s (26-8) with 14 points. Mahaney…
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