TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (4-4, 0-0) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (6-3, 0-0)
Thursday, December 18th - 6:00 PM                                               
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
TV: KJTV Fox 34 News Now                  
Radio: AM950/100.7FM               
All-Time Series: LCU leads 4-0
Tweet #LCUvsTAMIU

TIS THE SEASON
Lubbock Christian University opens their second season in the Heartland Conference Thursday hosting Texas A&M International and following up hosting St. Mary's University Saturday to complete their opening weekend of conference action. The games are two games of a three-game homestand to match their longest homestand of the season.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
WICHITA FALLS (December 13, 2014) – Tess Bruffey set the Lubbock Christian University single-game blocks record with 10 denials, Haley Fowler produced a career high 24 points and Haley Burton notched her second career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), but the performances were not good enough to keep the NCAA Div. II's longest active road winning streak alive. No.24 Midwestern State used 22 offensive rebounds and an 87% (20/23) free-throw percentage to hold on for a 73-70 win over LCU Saturday night at Ligon Coliseum, ending LCU's 17-game road win streak.

Losing in Wichita Falls was a trend the Lady Chaps were trying to buck. LCU, now 0-14 all-time against Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, was playing their 27th all-time meeting against MSU, but their first since Feb. 12, 1994. Back then, the two teams were NAIA regional foes and the Mustangs were still known as the Indians.

LCU had to rally back Saturday night for the opportunity to end that Wichita Falls skid and to attempt to keep MSU from garnering their 11th straight win in the all-time series. Midwestern State had their largest lead at 63-53 with 9:29 remaining in the contest. LCU went on an 11-4 run over the next five minutes to pull within 67-64. They were 5-of-5 from the field during the stretch, with Fowler producing two of the field goals. They could have produced a better run, but they committed six turnovers during the span. Meanwhile, MSU closed the game making three of their last 10 field goal attempts and going without a field goal over the final 2:03. The made field goal, by Dianna Jones, provided MSU a 71-67 lead. Fowler split a trip to the free-throw line and Bailey Haist had a baseline lay-up to cut the deficit to 71-70 with 15 seconds to go. They fouled Jones with nine seconds left and she made both free-throws to extend the MSU lead to 73-70. LCU had an opportunity to produce a three-point shot to force overtime but they never got a three-point shot off.

The Lady Chaps trailed 38-32 at halftime after MSU closed the half outscoring LCU 16-7 over the final seven minutes, including a 9-2 run over the half's final three minutes. There were four lead changes in the first half, with LCU never leading by more than three points.

In the paint, LCU outscored MSU 48-28 and had 15 blocks. The 15 blocks is the highest block total for LCU under head coach Steve Gomez's coaching reign at LCU (in his 12th season) and it was two blocks off the program's single game record of 17 from Feb. 19, 1991 (vs. Hardin-Simmons). The 15 blocks sets a new Heartland Conference record (prior high was 14). Bruffey not only topped her prior and school single-game record of nine, but also broke the Heartland Conference single-game record. The mark matches the most produced in NCAA Div.II this season (two other players have completed the task nationally).  

Bruffey missed out on an incredible stat line, as she had eight points and eight rebounds to go along with her 10 blocks. Burton was an assist shy of a career high with 10 assists in recording her first double-double of the season. Fowler went 11-of-14 from the field and had six boards and four assists in her career scoring night (prior career high was 19).

MSU, improving to 8-1 on the season and matching their best nine-game start in program history, registered 22 offensive rebounds, leading to a 19-3 scoring edge in second chance scoring. Andrea Carter produced a double-double for MSU with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jones led MSU in scoring with 24 points. The Mustangs excelled at the charity stripe, going 20-of-23 from the line (87%). It was the best shooting performance from the line by an LCU opponent shooting at least 20 attempts since Southern Nazarene was 91.9% (34/37) on Mar. 4, 2011.

The Lady Chaps were 49.1% (27-55) from the field in the game and held MSU to 36.9% (24/65) from the field.

STREAK STILL STANDING
The Lady Chaps had the NCAA Div. II's active road win streak leading streak of 17 road wins snapped in their loss Saturday night at Midwestern State. One streak continues and that is LCU's 23 consecutive conference wins, which also leads NCAA Div. II. LCU's last loss in conference play was back on Feb. 14, 2013 at Rogers State. Their last home loss in conference play was Jan. 10, 2010 (LCU has won 16 straight conference home games).

HOME RECORDINGS
LCU has set a program record in all four of their home games this season:

11/22 - LCU tied a Heartland Conference Record and set a Rip Griffin Center record with 14 blocks. Kellyn Schneider tied a program single-game record with eight blocks.

11/28 - Tess Bruffey broke the LCU single game record and tied a Heartland Conference single game mark with nine blocks.

11/29 - LCU set a program record in field goal shooting with a 69.2% (36/52) shooting mark from the field, which is also a Heartland Conference record.

12/6 - Allison Szabo had the best field goal percentage (of anyone with less than 10 shot attempts) in program history with a 9-of-9 shooting performance. The mark qualified to tie a Heartland Conference record, which had only been completed one other time.

BLOCKING IT OUT
The Lady Chaps are second amongst all NCAA Div. II programs with 87 blocks this season. Their pace of 9.7 per game ranks second behind Emporia State (10.1). Individually, Tess Bruffey (40) and Kellyn Schneider (31) and are both atop the Heartland Conference in blocks. Bruffey's 40 blocks ranks second amongst NCAA Div. II leaders and Schneider ranks fifth. With 40 blocks, Bruffey has moved into fourth place on LCU's single season mark for blocks in only nine games.
            
OPENING THINGS UP
Thursday marks LCU's second Heartland Conference opener, after spending the prior 19 seasons in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Lady Chaps went 11-8 all-time in SAC openers. They are 10-1 all-time in conference openers under head coach Steve Gomez. They have won their past nine consecutive conference openers.

A RARE SIGHT
LCU was 2-of-6 (33.3%) from three-point range Saturday at Midwestern State. The two three-point field goals were the least since Nov. 5, 2011 (vs. Metro State), and the six attempts is the fewest attempted under Gomez's coaching tenure.
 
GOOD FOWLS
In nine games this season, Haley Fowler has produced double figures in points in eight of the contests. The scoring consistency has her leading the team with 13.9 points per game. She has scored at least four field goals in seven of the last eight games. Fowler has a 68.9% shooting percentage (31/45) over the prior five-game stretch. She is coming off a career high 24-point performance.

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 TAMIU
The Dustdevils are seeking to end a four-game losing skid after opening the season 4-0. All four of their loses have come on the road and are part of a current six-game road trip. They lead the Heartland Conference with 74 three-point field goals, with 18 more than LCU (56), who sits second in the category. Stella Ghazarian leads the conference in three-pointers with 27 for a clip of 3.4 per game. TAMIU sits just ahead of LCU in assist/turnover ratio with a conference leading ratio of 1.3 on the season. They are led in scoring by Jessica Prieto, who is averaging 15.5 points per game.

THE SERIES AGAINST TAMIU
LCU leads the all-times series 4-0 against TAMIU, after winning 94-89 Feb. 13, 2014 in Lubbock to complete the season series sweep last season. Prior to last season, the two teams had not played since Nov. 30, 2006 in Lubbock, with LCU winning 77-61.

THE LAST MEETING AGAINST TAMIU
Feb. 13, 2014 (Laredo, Texas) - LCU: 94 / TAMIU 89
Lubbock Christian University benefitted off an 8-1 run in the final three minutes, and double-doubles from Nicole Hampton and Kaycie Boyles complimented a 19-point performance by Kelsey Hoppel to help LCU keep their program best win streak alive and remain in first place in the Heartland Conference standings with a 94-89 victory at Texas A&M International Thursday night. LCU improved to 16-0 in conference play and have won 19 consecutive games.

It was a back and forth contest, which included 10 lead changes. Eight of the lead changes occurred in the opening half of play. LCU appeared as if they would run away early in the game with a 9-2 run for a 15-7 lead, but TAMIU responded with a 15-1 run and took a 22-16 lead with 10:48 remaining in the half. Haley Burton nailed her first of three three-pointers to help LCU respond with a 7-0 run for a 23-22 lead a minute later. Hoppel had 11 points in the first half and hit a pair of three-pointers in the half to help LCU close the half on a 10-3 run for a 42-37 halftime lead.

Credit TAMIU for not allowing LCU to pull away in the contest. On three occasions, LCU had a six or seven point lead brought back to a one possession game by the Dustdevils in the second half. Samantha Chacon capped a 5-0 run with a three-pointer with 3:48 left and TAMIU led LCU 75-74. The lead would last four seconds as LCU rushed the inbounds up the floor for a quick layup by Hampton to regain the LCU lead. LCU would outscore TAMIU 20-14 over the final 3:48. The Lady Chaps final field goal came with 1:46 left, as Hoppel connected on a three-pointer for an 85-78 advantage. LCU would score their final eight points from the line (11 of their last 14 as well).

LCU was 19-of-22 from the free throw line in the second half (86.4%), while TAMIU was 14-of-23 (60.9%) in the same stretch. Teams combined for 45 of the game's 68 free throws in the second half. LCU survived despite their worst shooting performance of the season from the field, as they were 40.6% (28/69) from the field.

A combined 10 players scored in double figures and four players produced double-doubles. Hampton (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Boyles (15 points and 12 rebounds) each had a double-double for LCU. It is the second time this season (Dec.14, 2013 at Oklahoma Christian was the last) but only the fourth time since 2007-2008 that LCU has had two double-double performances in the same game. Malika Jackson (18 points and 11 rebounds) and Jessica Woo (15 points and 13 rebounds) each had double-doubles in the losing cause for TAMIU. LCU was led with 19 points from Kelsey Hoppel. Chacon led all scorers with 23 points for the Dustdevils.