Louisville (7-1) struggled to find a rhythm offensively in the first half before eventually wearing down the smaller Antelopes to escape the desert with a harder-than-expected win. The Cardinals made 17 of 31 of shots in the second half and had a 44-22 advantage in the paint to pull away.
Grand Canyon's fans made GCU Arena feel like a giant rave well before the game started and the Antelopes (3-4) kept the party going by playing like they were the favorites, not the blue-blooded Cardinals.
Missing three starters, Grand Canyon led Louisville by a point at halftime behind flashy guard DeWayne Russell and kept the Cardinals close until the midpoint of the second half.
Russell had a career-high 42 points on 14-of-27 shooting.
