PHOENIX (Interstat) — Nyadieng Yiech had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Grand Canyon used a decisive second-quarter run to defeat visiting Jackson State 77-55 on Wednesday in a women’s NCAA Division I game at Grand Canyon University Arena.

Grand Canyon improved to 1-0. Jackson State fell to 0-2 after opening its season with a loss at Arizona State.

The Antelopes led 20-13 after the first quarter, then outscored the Lady Tigers 26-9 in the second to take a 46-22 halftime lead. Grand Canyon pushed the margin to 67-37 after three quarters. Jackson State closed with an 18-10 fourth-quarter edge but never threatened. Grand Canyon scored 20 points in the first quarter, 26 in the second, 21 in the third and 10 in the fourth. Jackson State scored 13 in the first, 9 in the second, 15 in the third and 18 in the fourth.

Grand Canyon set the tone early inside. Jana Sallman made layups on the Antelopes’ first and third baskets, and Dasha Biriuk hit a 3-pointer as Grand Canyon built an early edge. Jackson State answered with a layup from Joi Johnson and a Taler Thornton jump shot, and Joi Johnson later made a layup and free throw to cut the lead to 9-8. Ines Zounia made a layup for Grand Canyon, but Ne’Vaeh Buntley’s 3-pointer tied the score at 11. Maya Foz then hit two 3-pointers, and Chloe Mann made three free throws after a foul on a 3-point attempt as Grand Canyon closed the quarter on a 9-2 run to lead 20-13. Jackson State got a pullup jump shot from Thornton in the final minute.

The second quarter is where the game broke open. T’Yana Todd opened the period with a 3-pointer, and Yiech followed with a layup, a free throw, a 3-pointer, a driving layup and two more free throws during a stretch that helped Grand Canyon pull away. Sallman added two layups and two free throws, and Foz made a free throw as the Antelopes outscored Jackson State 26-9 in the quarter. Jackson State managed a layup and free throw from Justine Tchehchoua, two free throws from Rhianna Battles, a free throw from Joi Johnson and a late layup from Joi Johnson before halftime. Ashlynn Chlarson also made a layup for Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon led 46-22 at the break.

Jackson State tried to climb back in the third. Foz opened the quarter with a jump shot for Grand Canyon. Buntley made a layup and a 3-pointer, and Madison Eddings scored on a tip-in and added a free throw as the Lady Tigers cut into the deficit. Sallman made two free throws and Yiech made two free throws for Grand Canyon. But Mann answered with a 3-pointer, a layup and two more 3-pointers in the third, and Foz added a layup as Grand Canyon took a 67-37 lead into the fourth. Cassidy Gladney made a free throw for Jackson State, and Mann made another free throw for the Antelopes in the closing seconds of the quarter.

The Lady Tigers kept playing in the final quarter. Sierra Tuliau hit a 3-pointer, Buntley made a driving layup and two free throws, and Gladney and Selina Gutierrez combined for four free throws. Tchehchoua made a layup and a free throw, and Tuliau hit another 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds remaining to set the final margin. Grand Canyon got a tip-in layup from Yiech, a layup from Yasmeen Schmidt, a layup from Sifa Joyeuse and a late layup from Diamond Wright with 35.9 seconds left. Jackson State outscored Grand Canyon 18-10 in the fourth quarter. The Antelopes led by as many as 30 points after Mann’s third-quarter 3-pointer. The Lady Tigers never led after the first quarter.

Yiech, a 6-foot-3 forward from Calgary, Canada, finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. Mann, a 5-foot-8 guard who previously played at Duncanville, added 16 points, two rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes for Grand Canyon. Buntley, a 5-foot-11 guard who previously played at New Hampton School, led Jackson State with 16 points, four rebounds and an assist in 24 minutes. Sallman, a 6-foot-3 center who previously played at Western Reserve Academy, had 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes for the Antelopes. Eddings, a 6-foot-4 center who previously played at Hazel Green High School, chipped in seven points, six rebounds and an assist in 22 minutes for the Lady Tigers. Foz, a 5-foot-9 guard who previously played at Fort Erie International, scored 11 points in 21 minutes for Grand Canyon. Todd, a 6-foot guard who previously played at IMG Academy, had seven points and four assists in 22 minutes. Biriuk, a 6-foot-1 guard who previously played at Webb School, added three points, four rebounds and a block in 22 minutes. Zounia, a 5-foot-10 guard who previously played at Lycée Voltaire, contributed two points, five rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes. Tuliau, a 5-foot-8 guard who previously played at John C. Kimball High School, scored six points in 10 minutes for Jackson State.

Grand Canyon shot 25 of 68 from the field, 8 of 25 from 3-point range and 19 of 21 from the free-throw line. Jackson State was 17 of 56 from the floor, 4 of 18 from behind the arc and 17 of 25 from the line.

The Antelopes held a 17-8 edge in offensive rebounds despite committing 11 turnovers to Jackson State’s seven. Grand Canyon had three assists and two blocks. Jackson State had four assists and two blocks. Jackson State scored 55 points from 67 possessions, an offensive rating of 82.2. Grand Canyon scored 77 points from 72 possessions, an offensive rating of 107.0.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Grand Canyon 63, Jackson State 55. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Grand Canyon with a 97.2 percent probability to win.