TARLETON STATE (2-1) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (3-1)
Friday, November 28th - 7:30 PM                                               
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Internet Only                                                                                  
All-Time Series: TSU leads 19-2

BLACK FRIDAY
Lubbock Christian University does not receive much of a Thanksgiving Break, as they were action Monday at Angelo State and they play consecutive nights hosting the Lowe's Market Thanksgiving Classic, facing Tarleton State Friday and Eastern New Mexico Saturday, with each game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center. Texas-Permian Basin is also involved in the classic and will play at 5:30 p.m. each night prior to LCU's games.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
Freshman Tess Bruffey recorded her second double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and also supplied Lubbock Christian University with seven of their 12 blocks to help LCU to a 71-57 win over Angelo State University in nonconference play inside Junell Center Monday night.

The Lady Chaps improved to 3-1 with the win, but it was a game full of ups and downs and several shooting woes. Angelo State opened the game with the game's first nine points for a 9-0 lead. Blair Taylor came off the bench to record LCU's first field goal and it came 3:55 into the game. They would go on to respond with a 14-0 run for a 14-9 lead with 9:28 to go in the half. Once taking a 9-0 lead, ASU hit an offensive dry spell. The Rambelles went a span of 10:49 without a field goal and were 0-of-16 during the span. Meanwhile, LCU was 6-of-8 shooting during the run and closed the half making 10-of-14 shots (71.4%). LCU out-scored ASU 31-7 once trailing 9-0 for a 31-16 lead. The Lady Chaps held ASU to a 17.2% shooting percentage from the field. LCU produced seven of their 12 blocks in the opening half and out-scored ASU 20-4 in the paint.

Three minutes into the second half, Tess Bruffey hit a field goal to give LCU a 37-18 lead for their largest lead of the game. ASU did rally back. Jasmine Caston (12 points), Jackie Patterson (8 points) and Jasmine Patterson (6 points) were each held off the scoreboard in the opening half, but combined for 26 points in the second half. They helped ASU go on a 13-2 run and cut LCU's lead to 50-46 with a little over nine minutes remaining in regulation. LCU was 0-of-7 from the field during the span of 5:10, but Taylor put an end to the run with a three-point play for a 53-46 lead with 8:12 left. Haley Burton (13 points) and Haley Fowler (nine points) combined for 22 points in the second help and helped LCU close the contest out-scoring ASU 21-11 over the final nine minutes.

LCU out-scored ASU 44-18 in the paint. Burton led all scorers with 15 points and was one of four Lady Chaps in double figures. Fowler and Bruffey each had 13 points and Allison Szabo chipped in 11 points. Bruffey, who had her first double-double in LCU's opener, collected her second of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Kellyn Schneider also had 11 rebounds and contributed four blocks for LCU. ASU, remaining winless (0-4), received a double-double from Amanda Weaver, who produced 12 points and 10 rebounds. ASU had Caston (12 points) and Shauna Coleman (11 points) assist the Rambelles offensive efforts.

STREAKS STILL STANDING
LCU has won 18 consecutive home games heading into Friday, and they also have a 16-game road win streak in tact. The home win streak is tied for the third longest active streak amongst NCAA Div. II programs. The road streak is the longest active streak amongst NCAA Div. II programs. The last home loss was on Jan. 10, 2013 (vs. Oklahoma City) and the last true road loss was on Nov. 16, 2013 (at Tarleton State).

LACK OF CHARITY
Monday at Angelo State, LCU was 8-of-14 from the free-throw line (57.1%). It was the lowest free-throw shooting percentage by LCU since Nov.21, 2013 against Oklahoma Panhandle State. The eight free-throws made was their lowest made since they produced eight on Feb 21, 2013 against Science & Arts of Oklahoma.

BLOCKING IT OUT
Kellyn Schneider produced eight blocks against Mid-America Christian in their prior home game, which matched a program single game record last completed by Suzanne Copeland on Feb. 12, 1991. LCU had 14 blocks as a team against MACU (a NCAA Div. II high for the season) and followed with 12 blocks at Angelo State marking consecutive games with at least 10 blocks. They had only registered 10 or more blocks in a game once under 12th-year Steve Gomez's coaching rein prior to the two games. As a team, LCU is averaging an NCAA Div. II best 9.3 blocks per game with a NCAA Div. II best 37 blocks. Schneider has 20 blocks, which leads NCAA Div. II and is tied for third in per-game average (5.0).  

ON THE REBOUND
LCU has height this season and they have all the block totals on their side, but this season, through four games, LCU has yet to out-rebound an opponent. It is unfamiliar territory for LCU, who was only outrebounded a total of five times last season and three times in 2012-2013. The last time LCU went four straight games without out-rebounding an opponent was during the 2010-2011 season.

DOUBLE DOUBLE TROUBLE
LCU has had a double-double produced in three of their first fi=our games this season. Tess Bruffey became the first LCU player under Steve Gomez's coaching reign to record a double-double in her LCU debut, as she produced 16 points and 10 rebounds against Colorado Colorado Springs. She also had 13 points and 11 rebound in San Angelo Monday. Haley Fowler notched her first double-double against Colorado School of Mines with a career high 16 points and a career best 11 rebounds.
 
POST TURKEY
The Lady Chaps have won four consecutive games in their first game back following Thanksgiving. Their last loss came on Nov. 30, 2009 (70-69 vs. Wayland Baptist).

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
Prior to making the move to NCAA Division II, LCU was in the top-10 in the NAIA in free-throw shooting for eight consecutive seasons: 12/13 (1st), 11/12 (1st), 10/11 (9th), 09/10 (5th), 08/09 (2nd), 07/08 (1st), 06/07 (6th) and 05/06 (9th). Last season, LCU led the conference with a 78.1% shooting mark from the free-throw line, which ranked fifth in NCAA Division II. Hoppel set the program's single season free-throw shooting mark last season at 93.8%. It broke Nicole Hampton's mark of 92.4% from the 2011-2012 season.

ABOUT TARLETON
The TexAnns are coming off a 78-70 win over Texas Wesleyan University to improve their record to 2-1 on the season and their trip to Lubbock marks their first road trip of the season. It also begins a span of six of seven games away from Stephenville, Texas for the TexAnns. Tarleton is coached by Misty Wilson, who takes over this season as the sixth coach in program history after 12 seasons as an assistant. Eleven seasons were served behind head coach  Ronnie Hearn, who retired. Ikpeaku Iwobi leads the squad averaging 14 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. She has produced two double-doubles out of the three games played this season. In their prior two games, Tarleton went from 2/12 (16.7%) shooting from three-point range (against St. Mary's) to shoot 12/25 (48%) against TWU. They have only allowed six three pointers on the season.  

THE SERIES AGAINST TARLETON
The TexAnns have dominated the all-time series 19-2, with LCU last winning on Nov. 22, 2011 (87-84). LCU is 1-9 all-time in Lubbock against Tarleton, and the two teams have not met in Lubbock since Feb. 17, 1994 (TSU won 59-54). The last overall meeting came in Stephenville, Texas on 11/16/13, with LCU falling 95-83. It was LCU's only loss of the 2013-2014 season. 

THE LAST MEETING AGAINST TARLETON
Nov. 16, 2013 (Stephenville, Texas)  - LCU: 83  / TSU: 95
Tarleton State University used a 58.9% shooting percentage and a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double performance from Brianna Bledsoe to defeat Lubbock Christian University 95-83 at Wisdom Gym. It marked the most offense an LCU opponent had generated since Oklahoma Christian posted 98 points against the Lady Chaparrals on Feb. 19, 2005.

The Lady Chaps and head coach Steve Gomez may want to veer away from making future trips Tarleton. LCU has made four trips to Tarleton under Gomez, including Saturday, and each trip has resulted in a foul count which has stood as a season high for the Lady Chaps. They were whistled for 24 in 2008, 31 in 2010, 28 in 2011 and Saturday they were whistled for 27 fouls. Starters Haley Burton and Kaycie Boyles fouled out.  The 27 fouls led to 29 free-throw attempts and TSU converted on 22 of them, with Bledsoe going 10-for-10 from the line. LCU is 1-11 all-time in Stephenville.

Tarleton did not need any additional help from all the whistles, as they were solid from the field. The TexAnns shot 64.3% (18/28) from the field in the first half, including a 5-of-9 (55.6%) mark from three-point range. They finished the game shooting 58.9% (33/56) from the field and they are the first Lady Chaps opponent to shoot better than 50% since Southern Nazarene did on Mar. 2, 2011.

LCU actually led in the game early. They forced the TexAnns into four turnovers in the opening four minutes and led 12-4. TSU responded with a 10-2 run and tied the game 14-14 with 13:55 remaining in the half. The lead changed hands five times before the TexAnns went on a 21-6 run spanning 6:09 for a 48-34 TSU lead with 1:32 left in the half. The TexAnns were 8-of-10 during the span from the field, while forcing LCU into four turnovers and holding them to a 2-of-10 shooting performance. During the run, LCU's Haley Burton was called for a charge and a rare technical foul. TSU led 49-38 at the half.

A 6-0 run to open the second half led to TSU's largest lead at 55-38 less than two minutes into the half. The Lady Chaps would eventually climb back into the game and they used a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 65-58 with 10:25 remaining. TSU kept their distance and LCU would be unable to get the deficit under seven points the rest of the way.

The two teams combined for 23 free-throw attempts (13 by LCU) over the final 10:25 of the game. The teams combined for 50 personal fouls, with 27 whistled against LCU in the contest. The fouls led to 57 free-throw attempts combined between the two teams.

Bledsoe was 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range for her 29 points.  The TexAnns also received double figure production offensively from Kiara Wright (16 points), Morgan Ashmore (10 points) and Meagan O'Dell (10 points).

LCU was 42.9% (27/63) from the field, but struggled from long range going 7-of-24 (29.2%) from beyond the arc. Burton finished the game with a team high 23 points. She was 3-of-5 from long range, while the rest of the team combined to go 4-of-19 (21%). Nicole Hampton had a rounded effort with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. Kelsey Hoppel contributed 18 points and also matched a career high with five steals. Boyles added 11 points in the losing cause.