LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (12-5, 6-1) at TEXAS-PERMIAN BASIN (10-5, 4-3)Thursday, January 21 - 5:30 PM
UTPB Gym/Falcon Dome (Odessa, Texas)
Radio: KJTV AM950/100.7FM
All-Time Series: LCU leads 13-0
ROAD SHOW CONTINUES
Lubbock Christian University continues a three-game road trip, their longest of the season, with a stop in Odessa, Texas Thursday to face University of Texas of the Permian Basin before closing the trip Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas to face St. Edward's. LCU enters the weekend set on a season-high four-game win streak and atop the Heartland Conference standings with a 6-1 conference mark (12-5 overall).
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
Lubbock Christian University tied a program record with 17 blocks, setting a new Heartland Conference record, as nine different Lady Chaps produced at least one block, and LCU rolled to an 88-49 road win over Oklahoma Panhandle State University for their first four-game win streak of the season.
It marks the second time this season the Lady Chaps have set the Heartland Conference's single game blocks record. They produced 15 blocks on Dec. 13 at Midwestern State to set a conference record and Monday's mark at OPSU not owns breaks their prior conference record, but it matches a program record completed Feb. 19, 1991 against Hardin-Simmons.
Kellyn Schneider had the most blocks with six. A solid number to go along with Schneider's double-double with a career high 14 points and 13 rebounds. LCU dressed 11 players and nine of the 11 had at least one block. The 17 blocks is the most by a program in a NCAA Div. II game this season.
As far as the game, LCU had little problems. The game was tied 10-10 in the opening seven minutes before LCU responded with an 11-0 run. LCU led as much as 40-20 in the half before taking a 40-23 halftime lead into the locker room. The Lady Chaps came out shooting 60% (15/25) in the second half. LCU never witnessed their lead slip under 15 and they led as much as 88-46 prior to the final.
For a fourth time this season, LCU shot better than 50% from the field. LCU was 55.6% (30/54) from the field and held OPSU to a shooting mark of 21.4% (15/70). LCU ended up with more blocks than the opposition had field goals.
Four different Lady Chaps produced double figures in the victory. Schneider and
Tess Bruffey each co-led LCU with 14 points. They were joined by
Allison Szabo (11 points) and
Haley Burton (10 points). Ten of LCU's 11 active players had at least one point in the game. Tatyana Bell of OPSU led her squad with a game high 15 points.
STREAK STILL STANDING
The Lady Chaps have had a lot of streaks over the past three seasons, as they have gone 68-10 since the start of the 2012-2013 season. One streak still remaining is a 20-game home conference win streak. Their last home loss in conference play was Jan. 10, 2010 against Oklahoma City University. They are 14-0 all-time in Heartland Conference home games.
HELPING HAND
In Monday's win over Oklahoma Panhandle State, LCU had 23 assists on 30 field goals, with assists from 10 different players. The performance followed a team effort of 20 assists on 25 field goals from Saturday's win over Arkansas-Fort Smith. LCU has assisted on at least 20 field goals over the last three games.
BLOCKING IT OUT
The Lady Chaps lead all NCAA Div. II programs with 157 blocks this season. Their pace of 9.2 co-leads with Emporia State. Individually,
Kellyn Schneider (69) and
Tess Bruffey (56) are both atop the Heartland Conference in blocks. Schneider's 69 blocks ranks second amongst NCAA Div. II leaders and Bruffey ranks fourth. The two Lady Chaps marks already have them each in the top-three single-season totals in program history. Schneider is three blocks away from setting the program's single-season record (Suzanne Copeland 71, 1999-2000) and is already in the top five of LCU's career block leaders.
MORE ON BLOCKS
Monday at OPSU, LCU received blocks from nine different individuals and tied the program's single game blocks record with 17. It was the highest blocks mark by a NCAA Div. II program this season.
INSIDE TALK
Kellyn Schneider is averaging 10.1 rebounds per game this season. Only two Lady Chaps have ever completed a season averaging at least 10 rebounds per game. Schneider has posted at least 10 rebounds in seven of the past eight games and is averaging 12.6 rebounds per conference game.
HELPING HAND
Haley Burton, who eclipsed 100 assists this season this past weekend for the first time in her career, leads the Heartland Conference with 6.8 assists per game and a total of 115. The mark ranks her fourth nationally in total assists and sixth in assists per game. She also leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio. This past weekend, Burton produced 20 assists compared to only five turnovers over two games. Included in the mix was a career-high 12 assists Saturday against Arkansas - Fort Smith.
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. This season, LCU ranks second in the Heartland Conference from the charity stripe with a mark of 73.7%.
Allison Szabo is second in the conference with a mark of 86.7% (52/60).
ABOUT UTPB
The Falcons are seeking to end a two-game losing streak after falling on the road at St. Mary's and Texas A&M International. The streak follows a five-game win streak the Falcons were riding. They are fifth in the conference with a 4-3 record and are 10-5 overall. Their perimeter defense leads the conference, holding opponents to a 25.1% shooting mark from three-point range. Valerie Barriga leads the team and is second in the conference averaging 17.7 points a game. Also aiding the offense is Shaquiri Graham, who leads the conference with a 55.4% shooting percentage, and Giselle Loya, who leads the conference with 54 three-pointers.
THE SERIES AGAINST UTPB
LCU is 13-0 all-time against the Lady Falcons. The Lady Chaps swept the season series last season, with an 88-79 win coming on Jan. 11, 2014 in their previous game in Odessa.
THE LAST MEETING AGAINST UTPB
Feb. 22, 2014 (Lubbock, Texas) - LCU: 90 / UTPB 77
Lubbock Christian University used a 13-2 run in the final five minutes to keep their Heartland Conference record spotless, as the Lady Chaparrals used a 26-point performance from
Emily Pool to defeat University of Texas of the Permian Basin 90-77 in contest which featured 14 lead changes inside the Rip Griffin Center.
LCU never led for over a six minute span halfway through the second half and trailed 59-54 with 12:29 remaining. Facing their largest second half deficit, LCU responded with a 5-0 run all on free-throws to tie the game 59-59 with 10:28 left. LCU was held away from the lead until
Blair Taylor converted with an old fashioned three-point play leading to a 67-65 lead with 7:28 to go. An 8-1 LCU run built the Lady Chaps lead to 70-65 with 6:42 left, but the Falcons answered back and cut the LCU lead to 70-69 with six minutes remaining. That is when LCU pulled away with a 13-2 run.
Kelsey Hoppel produced four of the points during the run and LCU led 83-71 with 2:29 to go. UTPB was unable to catch up, as they were 1-of-5 from the field over the final three minutes.
The opening half of play was filled with 10 lead changes.
Nicole Hampton nailed a three-pointer for LCU two minutes into the game for a 10-3 lead, but LCU was far from putting the game into cruise control. The Falcons went on an impressive 16-3 run and led 19-13 seven minutes into the game. Pool would score 14 points in the first half and once the dust settled from all 10 lead changes in the half, LCU led 42-29 at the break.
The score would be tied on four occasions in the opening six minutes of the second half before a 7-2 Falcons surge placed them with a 59-54 lead.
Haley Burton (10 points) and Hampton (12 points) combined for 22 points in the second half for the Lady Chaps.
Pool, who entered the game averaging 17 points a game in February, tops 25 points for a second consecutive home game. Her 26 points came off a 6-of-9 shooting performance from the field. She was also 12-of-16 from the free-throw line. The 16 attempts from the line was the most by a Lady Chap since Mamy N'Kolomoni had 17 attempts on Mar. 1, 2002 (vs. Southern Nazarene). Valerie Barriga, who led UTPB with 24 points, was 12-of-12 from the line and it represents the best shooting performance from the line over the past four seasons by a Lady Chaps opponent.
Burton finished with 16 points, Hampton scored 15 points and
Kaycie Boyles tallied 13 points to join Pool in double figures in points. Hampton also contributed nine rebounds and six assists. LCU was 52% (13/25) from the field in the second half and finished the game 50.9% (28/55) from the floor. UTPB received 15 points from Giselle Loya and 10 points from Jocelyn Cook in the losing cause. Both teams were hot from long range, as UTPB was 11-of-20 (55%) and LCU was 8-of-12 (66.7%).
