GRAND CANYON 96, ARKANSAS STATE 72

Ty Cockfield scored a game-high 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the floor for Arkansas State University, but it wasn’t enough as all five Grand Canyon University starters scored 10 or more points Friday at GCU Arena in Phoenix.

Neither team could build much of a lead until Grand Canyon (3-1) began to pull away in the latter stages of the first half. Two free throws by Grantham Gillard cut the Antelopes’ lead to 28-27 with 5:57 left in the half. An 8-0 run over the next 3:24, capped by a jumper by Michael Finke, increased the lead to 3627. A three-pointer by Gillard with 2:13 left stopped the run, but Grand Canyon used another 8-0 run to end the half and take a 44-30 halftime lead.

Marquis Eaton hit a layup on a fast break off a Grand Canyon turnover to cut the lead to nine points, 53-44, with 15:24 left in the game, but that’s as close as Arkansas State (1-2) would get.

Gillard finished with 16 points and was the only other player to score 10 or more points for the Red Wolves, who shot 48 percent (27 of 56) from the floor. Finke led the Antelopes with 15 points, while Damari Milstead came off the bench to score 14.