When Winston Gandy entered Colonial Life Arena on November 3, it felt… peculiar. That’s because he stood apart, away from Dawn Staley. But that’s precisely the situation he chose for himself, and for Grand Canyon University. Having built his knowledge base under the Gamecocks’ boss for years, he was confident with the Lopes facing a formidable opponent early. And who better than No. 2 South Carolina? It appears to have been the right decision.

As the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard told the story everyone expected: South Carolina 94, Grand Canyon 54. But it wasn’t just the Gamecocks who were under the spotlight; Gandy was too. Smiling after the game, the first-year head coach summed up his experience in just 14 words: “I finally got to see what a lot of other teams got to experience.” Understandably so because his debut had just ended in a loss.

What else could anyone expect from a powerhouse program led by a three-time national champion who has won 647 career games? Still, if there’s one thing Gandy took from Staley, it’s the winning attitude, and that was pretty much visible in the way the Lopes played.

No, we’re not solely saying this, but the South Carolina HC also admitted, “I think Winston’s done a great job… Maybe he thought it was probably going to be closer; maybe he thought he could win. And that’s the type of attitude you need to bring in a place like this,” Dawn Staley said when asked about coaching against her former assistant.

Notably, Winston Gandy’s words after the game echoed a similar kind of understanding. “I knew what I was signing myself up for, and so, you know, you have the golden standard of women’s basketball. I know we’re nowhere near that, but you’ve got to start somewhere. And sometimes when you don’t know what it looks like, you’ve got to feel it. You’ve got to experience it. So very, very fortunate for the opportunity that we had tonight,” he said.

While the struggles for Gandy and Co. began right from tip-off, the Lopes kept fighting. Within five minutes, South Carolina had jumped to a double-digit lead, and they never looked back. Meanwhile, the opposition quickly found themselves in foul trouble. Within the first 30 seconds, Chloe Mann, Julianna LaMendola, and Holly Griffiths each picked up a foul. And by halftime, the Gamecocks were ahead by 60–31.

But that’s exactly when the Antelopes started to capitalise on the Gamecocks’ foul troubles. Despite them having 26 fouls called against SC’s 21, they made the most of their opportunities at the charity stripe, shooting 13-for-17 from free throws. As Staley admitted, “We needed a better matchup, and we were in foul trouble… It’s okay.” But even though Gandy tried to take advantage of South Carolina’s mistakes, their efforts from the stripe weren’t enough to turn the tide.

Despite losing, the season opener served a much greater purpose for Winston Gandy and his team

When he took over as Grand Canyon’s head coach, he faced a daunting challenge. His first-ever HC role came with a roster in major transition. Only two players returned from the previous campaign. Gandy wasted no time and quickly rebuilt. He added 14 new players, including Cincinnati transfer Chloe Mann, and started his coaching. Yet, his mission wasn’t just about putting together a roster. It was about building a system where his team grows, step by step.

As Gandy explained, “The team that you see in November is going to be different from the team that you see in December, in January, and so on… In June, I was like, I don’t think we’re gonna win a game. And then in July, I’m like, we may win a couple. And then when they came back in August, you start preseason, you’re like, okay, we may be all right from that standpoint. So that’s my hope, from November to January, you’re like, ‘Man, I can’t believe that was that team in November.’”

Hence, yes, playing the South Carolina Gamecocks in their season opener was no coincidence. Gandy wanted his players to experience what top-tier competition looks like from the outset, and he actually achieved something far more critical than his very first game.

Up next, Grand Canyon opens its home season against Idaho State on Saturday night, while South Carolina faces Bowling Green at home a night prior.