LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (12-5, 7-1) at ST. EDWARD'S (12-4, 6-2)Saturday, January 24 - 1:00 PM
Recreation and Convocation Center (Austin, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: SEU leads 4-3
The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals take a season-best five-game win streak to Austin, Texas Saturday to face St. Edward's University to wrap up a season-long three-game road trip. The contest pits the top two of the top three teams in the Heartland Conference.
LCU enters the game 12-5 on the season and 7-1 in conference play to sit atop the Heartland Conference standings. The Lady Chaparrals improved their conference mark Thursday night with an 89-76 road win at Texas – Permian Basin. LCU had played six consecutive games without their average scoring leader,
Haley Fowler, but she returned to the LCU line-up Thursday and came off the bench to register 22 points. She opened the game 7-of-7 from the field. LCU also received 17 points from
Allison Szabo off the bench. In their current five-game win streak, LCU is averaging a 17.4-point margin of victory and have shot over 50% from the field in three of the contests, including their last two games.
Kellyn Schneider has 70 blocks on the season and has not only moved into the program's top five in career blocks (in 18 games played), but is also one block away from matching the program's single-season mark set by Suzanne Copeland during the 1999-2000 season. She is averaging 3.9 blocks per game.
ABOUT SEUThe Hilltoppers opened the week defeating Oklahoma Panhandle State 79-62 in Austin. SEU jumped out early, scoring the game's first 12 points and leading 44-17 at the break. They received 15 rebounds in the opening half Khiani Clark, who made her first career start due to an injury to Kathleen Brisbane. She finished the game with 19 boards. They enter the week 6-2 in conference and 12-4 overall. The conference mark has them tied for second place in the standings with Arkansas – Fort Smith. Their defense enters the week leading the conference, holding opponents to an average of 59.3 points per game. They also lead the conference in scoring margin average (11.4). Mileka Loydrake leads SEU with an average of 15.2 points a game, which is in the top-five in the conference.
THE SERIES AGAINST SEUSEU has won four of the seven all-time meetings against LCU. Lubbock Christian swept the season series last season, defeating SEU 81-75 in overtime in their prior trip to Austin (Jan. 16, 2014)
THE LAST MEETING AGAINST SEUMar. 3, 2014 (Lubbock, Texas) - LCU: 90 / SEU 66
The nets were cut down inside Rip Griffin Center, as the Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals completed a perfect 20-0 Heartland Conference record and set the conference single-season wins mark in a 90-66 win over St. Edward's University.
With the Lady Chaps ineligible for NCAA Div. II postseason play and the Heartland Conference not allowing transitioning schools to participate in the conference tournament, Saturday's game served as the season finale for LCU. This season, transitioning schools were allowed to be included in the conference standings and LCU's 20-0 conference mark is a conference best. The 20 wins in conference is a new conference record and LCU is the first team to go unbeaten in conference play since St. Mary's University completed the task during the 2007-2008 season. The 20-0 finish in conference marks the third time the Lady Chaps have finished with the conference's best record and it is the first time in program history they finished undefeated in conference play. They complete their season on a 23-game win streak and with an overall mark of 25-1 to set a program single season record in losses (least amount) and win percentage (96.1%). Following the game, the Lady Chaps cut down the nets to commemorate their achievement for having the best record in the Heartland Conference. It is technically the first time ever in program history in which the Lady Chaps have cut down the nets, as they were unable to do so at the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament last season after claiming their first SAC Tournament title.
LCU never trailed in the contest. They led 12-7 early in the game and SEU came back to tie the game at 13-13 just over five minutes into the contest. LCU went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes. They would lead 25-15 with 10:42 remaining in the first half and before the Hilltoppers responded to rally and tie the game at 31-31 with 3:36 to go in the half.
Kelsey Hoppel nailed a three-pointer and jumpstarted an 11-0 run and an eventual 42-32 lead at the half. Hoppel led LCU with 17 points in the half and Mileka Loydrake led SEU with 15 points. The two players were each on fire, as Hoppel was 6-of-7 from the field in the half and Loydrake opened the game making five of her first six shot attempts.
LCU's 11-1 run to close the half carried over into a 21-1 run in the second half, as
Emily Pool and Hoppel each connected on three-point field goals to start the second half and LCU led 52-32 with 17:29 remaining. Seniors
Emily Pool (11 points in the second half) and
Kaycie Boyles (10 points in the second half) each had solid second half and helped LCU's lead in the half remain 17 points or greater. They led as much as 30 (90-60 with 1:57 remaining) in the game.
Hoppel led all scorers with a season-high 23 points. She was 8-of-11 from the field and 5-of-8 from long range. LCU outscored SEU 40-20 in the paint and mostly due to an 18-point outing by Boyles, who completed her fourth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds.
Nicole Hampton also produced 18 points for LCU and was joined in double figures by Pool, who had 12 points. Loydrake led SEU with 19 points and Casey Riley produced 10 points. SEU fell to 17-8 overall and 12-7 with the loss.
