OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE (2-17, 0-9) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (14-5, 8-1)
Thursday, January 29 - 6:00 PM                                                     
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KJTV AM950/100.7FM              
TV: Fox 34 News Now            
All-Time Series: Series tied 21-21
Tweet #LCUvsOPSU

SCHEDULE SLOWS DOWN
Lubbock Christian University returns home from a three-game road trip, their longest road trip of the season, on a six-game win streak Thursday to host Oklahoma Panhandle State University. LCU enters the game atop the Heartland Conference standings with an 8-1 conference mark. The Lady Chaps, 14-5 overall, will not play for another week once they complete their contest against OPSU. The game begins the second leg of games against conference foes. It also begins a three-game home stand matching their longest home stand of the season.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
Lubbock Christian University shot 80% (28/35) inside the arc, with Kellyn Schneider going 7-for-7 from the field to complete a 17-point 13-rebound double-double and Haley Fowler posting 25 points, and the career-high point totals for each of the Lady Chaparrals helped lead LCU to a 73-60 Heartland Conference road victory over St. Edward's University Saturday afternoon at Recreation and Convocation Center.

Schneider (7-for-7) and Tess Bruffey (6-for-6) combined for a 13-for-13 shooting performance. Mix in Fowler's 12-for-15 shooting mark in the game and the trio was 25-for-28 (89.2%) from the field. LCU had a 52-16 scoring advantage in paint scoring during the game.

Along with a career-high 17 points and her fifth double-double of the season, Schneider also contributed five assists and had four blocks, which led to some records being broken. The four blocks places Schneider with 74 blocks on the season, which sets a new program single-season record (was 71 held by Suzanne Copeland, 1990-91) and is a Heartland Conference single-season record.

Lubbock Christian opened the game 6-of-6 from the field and led 15-2 nearly seven minutes into the game. Ten LCU turnovers in the first half and eight offensive boards for SEU led to the Hilltoppers coming back from the 13-point deficit. The Hilltoppers went on a 13-2 run and tied the contest at 21-21 with 8:05 left in the first half. Fowler hit a pair of field goals and LCU quickly jumped out to a 27-21 lead before SEU would eventually rally to take a 30-29 lead with 3:38 remaining in the half. It was neck-and-neck in the final three minutes of the half and a lay-up by Fowler with four seconds remaining provided LCU a 36-34 lead at the break. LCU was 66.7% (14/21) from field in the half and 81% (13/16) from inside the arc. SEU had 13 more shots than LCU in the half.

Sydney Thomas made a lay-up for SEU for a 40-39 lead less than three minutes into the second half, but LCU answered back with an 8-0 run capped by a pair of Schneider buckets for a 46-39 LCU lead with 13:36 remaining in the game. LCU pulled away with 12 minutes to go, going on a 14-4 run to push the lead to 67-42 with under seven minutes remaining. The Lady Chaps led as much as 18 points (69-51) in the second half. They had a sequence late in the game making seven consecutive field goal attempts.

The Lady Chaps were 63% (29/46) from the field, but not all of their shooting marks were solid. LCU was 9.1% (1/11) from three-point range and 53.8% from the free-throw line (14/26). The one three-pointer, which was made by Blair Taylor, marked LCU's fewest three-pointers in a game since being held without one on Nov.5, 2011 against Metro State.

Fowler led all scorers with 25 points. She is averaging 23.5 points per game since returning to the LCU line-up from an injury. Bruffey joined Schneider and Fowler in double figures with 12 points. All 12 came in the second half.

LCU held SEU to shoot 36.1% (22/61) in the contest. They shot 25.9% (7/27) from the field in the second half. Lexi Fatheree, Mileka Loydrake and Aimee Durbidge each had 12 points for SEU in the losing effort.

STREAK STILL STANDING
The Lady Chaps have had a lot of streaks over the past three seasons, as they have gone 70-10 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, 2013 against Oklahoma City University. They are 14-0 all-time in Heartland Conference home games.

HELPING HAND
Haley Fowler made an unexpected return to the line-up last Thursday at Texas-Permian Basin after missing six games due to injury. She returned with vengeance, averaging 23.5 points a game and shooting 84% (21/25) from the field. Fowler tallied a career-high 25 points Saturday at St. Edward's.  
 
BLOCKING IT OUT    
The Lady Chaps lead all NCAA Div. II programs with 168 blocks this season. Their pace of 8.8 leads all NCAA Div. II programs as well. Individually, Kellyn Schneider (74) and Tess Bruffey (59) are both atop the Heartland Conference in blocks. Schneider's 74 blocks ranks third amongst NCAA Div. II leaders and Bruffey ranks fifth. The two Lady Chaps marks already have them each in the top-three single-season totals in program history. Schneider owns the program's single-season and the Heartland Conference's single-season blocks record and is already in the top five of LCU's career block leaders.
    
MORE ON BLOCKS
The last time LCU faced 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 was named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week by averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds and tallying two double-doubles on the week last week. The junior forward from Lubbock, Texas was 84.2% (16 of 19) from the field and closed the week on a streak of 12 consecutive field goals made. Schneider set the program single-season record and the Heartland Conference single season record in blocks, breaking the record in only 18 games. Her two double-doubles on the week included a 14-point, 13-rebound performance at Oklahoma Panhandle State and a 17-point, 13-rebound performance at St. Edward's. Both offensive marks were career highs for the Texas Tech transfer. Along with her strong shooting percentage from the field and 11 blocks on the week, Schneider also produced nine assists and was 84.6% from the free-throw line. The honor is a first for a Lady Chap this season and the first in Schneider's career.
 
HOT SHOOTING
LCU had only shot 50% or better twice through their first 14 games this season. They head into Thursday's game shooting 50% or better in their last three consecutive games played and in four of their last five games. They are 59.6% over their prior three games combined.

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 third in the Heartland Conference from the charity stripe with a mark of 73.2%. Allison Szabo leads the conference with a mark of 88.1% (59/67).

ABOUT OPSU
The Aggies enter the week 2-17 on the season overall and 0-9 in conference. Their last conference game resulted in an 75-65 loss at Texas-Permian Basin. OPSU is 1-8 on the road this season. They look to snap a 10-game losing streak. They have not won since Dec. 13, 2014 at Northern New Mexico. (they do not have a win over a NCAA Div. II program this season). Kiera Waters leads the Aggies in scoring with a pace of 12.6 points per game.

THE SERIES AGAINST OPSU
The two programs have met 42 times all-time and the series is square at 21-21. The Lady Chaps have won 14 of the last 16 meetings. LCU swept the season series last season and they are 1-0 this season against OPSU after an 88-49 win in Goodwell, Okla. on Jan. 19.

THE LAST MEETING AGAINST OPSU
Jan. 19, 2015 (Goodwell, Okla.) - LCU: 88 / OPSU 49
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.