PHOENIX (November 3^rd, 2016) -- A new cast of Adams State University men's basketball players quickly introduced themselves to Grizzly nation during a hard fought 88-83 loss to Grand Canyon University. The contest served as the program's lone exhibition game of the 2016-17 season.

Brandon Pasker provided an early lift with a pair of jumpers in the paint but Grand Canyon soon enforced their will in the paint to retain a slim lead.

Thanks to 13 GCU first half turnovers, the Grizzlies climbed back to take a 19-17 lead. The run was highlighted by a Shane Johnson steal that resulted in a fastbreak layup. Moments later Bryan Umoru rose above the rim for a put-back dunk that capped off an 8-0 Grizzly run.

The Antelopes created their biggest separation in the first half with a 14-0 run of their own to place ASU in a 36-22 deficit. The run eventually ended with a pair of Umoru free throws.

The Grizzlies were aggressive in the opening stanza which translated to plenty of opportunities at the charity stripe. Unfortunately for head coach Russ Caton, the Grizzlies did not capitalize by shooting 12-of-21 (57%) from the free throw line. Adams State went into halftime trailing 39-28 behind a 26 percent shooting mark from the field. The Antelopes countered by shooting 51 percent from the field.

The Grizzlies continued to play the role of aggressor after the break and found a way to shore up their free throw woes with an impressive 23-of-25 clip after halftime.

As the Grizzlies heated up from the line so too did Umoru who notched 18 second half points. Umoru started strong with 6 points in the opening minutes as the Grizzlies found a way to collect offensive rebounds. The newfound momentum kept the Grizzlies close as ASU tightened the GCU lead to 5 on numerous occasions.

A Johnson layup with five minutes left cut the Antelope lead to 71-66 as the junior transfer also caught fire in the second half with 15 points. Johnson concluded the game with 17 points and 4 steals off the bench.

Although the Antelopes kept the lead the Grizzlies continued to stick around to the very end. A Umoru three-pointer at the top of the key cut the GCU lead to five once again but was washed away with a quick layup from GCU on the other end. Johnson then answered with a pair of free throws to make it a five point affair once again. The theme of a five point game remained as Umoru drained a three-pointer with 3.6 seconds left to bring the exhibition contest to its final score of 88-83.

"Our goal was to play harder than they did and I think we did that. The execution will come with more practice." Caton said after the game.

The Grizzlies finished the game shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 23.5 from downtown but made their biggest impact at the free throw line. Adams State made up for their early struggles to finish 35-of-46 (76%) from the line.

The Antelopes shot 53.4 percent from the field and concluded with 22 turnovers. DeWayne Russell led GCU with 17 points and 11 assists.

Umoru produced a game-high 24 points behind a perfect 10-of-10 effort at the line. The senior also added 10 rebounds to notch a double-double.  Szymon Walczak added 11 points off the bench with all points coming from the charity stripe. The Grizzlies picked up 15 steals compared to GCU's 6. Adams State also held the edge in rebounds (42-41) with 16 coming off the offensive glass.

Adams State now turns to tournament play at the Texan Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 11-12.

For any future updates on ASU men's basketball stay connected with www.asugrizzlies.com