No.23 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (0-0) at COLORADO STATE - PUEBLO (0-0)
Friday, November 13 - 8:30 PM (Central)
Massari Arena (Pueblo, Colo.)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: CSUP leads 3-2


TIP-OFF TIME
After an adventurous exhibition season, which saw Lubbock Christian University play Fisher College in downtown Boston, No.1 Connecticut in Hartford, Conn. and John Brown inside American Airlines Center in Dallas, the Lady Chaparrals open their regular season at the Al-Kaly Shrine Classic in Pueblo, Colo. LCU opens the season Friday facing host Colorado State - Pueblo before closing the opening weekend of play Saturday against Metropolitan State of Denver. Both games will be played in Pueblo and both opponents are Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference programs.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST SEASON
The Lady Chaparrals went 21-7 overall last season and 15-3 in conference to finish with at least a share of the best Heartland Conference record for a second straight season (their second season in the conference). It was their final season without postseason eligibility and another year wondering how far they could have gone if postseason play was an option. LCU produced four All-Conference selections last season, with Kellyn Schneider claiming Defensive Player of the Year honors and Tess Bruffey garnering Freshman of the Year. The two combined for 199 blocks last season and helped LCU average 9.1 blocks a game, which led all NCAA Div. II squads. Schneider also claimed Daktronics All-Region honors.

WHO RETURNS
Lubbock Christian University returns four starters from last season's squad, including leading scorer Haley Fowler (13.8 points a game). Returning from a redshirt season last season is Nicole Hampton and Kelsey Hoppel, who have combined for 2,258 points. Hoppel enters the season 15 points away from marking the third consecutive season a Lady Chaps player has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark. It was Hampton achieving the honor two season's ago, and Haley Burton capturing the achievement last season.

WHO THEY LOST
The one starter lost season was Haley Burton, who closed out a 122-game career (118 starts) with 1,328 points. Burton finished her career ranking third in three-pointers (204) and assists (439) in program history. Last season, Burton completed the season with 184 assists for the fifth highest single-season mark in program history. In her four active playing seasons, Burton helped LCU combine for a 100-22 overall record and a 65-11 conference record.

NEW FACES
The Lady Chaps have four new players looking to make their LCU debut. Incoming freshmen Bobbi Chitsey (Wall, Texas) and Olivia Robertson join transfers Allea Harris (Argyle, Texas) and Antoinette Iroko (Carrolton, Texas) as the new kids on the LCU block.

CHARITY
LCU is consistently one of the nations leaders in free-throw shooting and this season should be no different. Nicole Hampton (91.7%), Kelsey Hoppel (90.5%) and Allison Szabo (86.8%) are a combined 597 for 659 (90.6%) from the line over their career.

RANKING DEBUT
For the first time in program history, Lubbock Christian University is eligible for the WBCA / USA Today NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and they made their debut in the poll's first rankings released for the 2015-2016 season, premiering at No.23.

LCU appeared in the D2SIDA Top 25 rankings late last season, appearing at No.19, but it was the only poll they were eligible for. It is the only time LCU has ever appeared in any rankings covering NCAA Division II women's basketball. D2SIDA polls come out Friday, but Thursday's regional rankings were announced and LCU is ranked No.2 with one of five first place votes behind regional favorites West Texas A&M.

The WBAC / USA Today NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll is the only women's basketball poll the NCAA recognizes for Division II. They are the only Heartland Conference team in the poll.

HEROIC SELECTIONS
Herosports.com released their preseason regional rankings, based on their "BennettRank" system and LCU is ranked second in the South Central Region behind West Texas A&M. The website also has Haley Fowler as a Third Team Preseason All-American.

FOR OPENERS
LCU is probably more known for how they finish the season, than how they begin the season. The Lady Chaps have dropped five of the last eight season openers. LCU fell 93-90 in Golden, Colo. in last season's opener against Colorado-Colorado Springs. In season openers, LCU is 23-13 all-time and 7-5 under head coach Steve Gomez. Friday marks LCU's second consecutive season opening on the road (both have been in Colorado) after three consecutive seasons opening at home. LCU has lost their last four season openers on the road and have not won a season opener on the road since defeating LSU-Shreveport to open the 2006-2007 season.

MILESTONE WATCH
- Kelsey Hoppel is 15 points away from 1,000 career points. The last Lady Chap to eclipse 1,000 points was Haley Burton (she completed the task in last season's season opener) and it would be the second Lady Chap on the roster with 1,000 points (Nicole Hampton has 1,273).
- Kelsey Hoppel needs six three-pointers for 188 in her career, which would move her past Angie Taylor and into fourth all-time in program history.
- Haley Fowler is 19 points away from 700 career points.
- Nicole Hampton is 27 points away from 1,300 career points.
- Nicole Hampton is four steals away from 227 career steals, which would move her past Tabitha Qubty-Sellers and into third all-time in program history.

NEW RULES
With efforts to "enhance the flow of the game," the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee has some new rules the NCAA has implemented for the upcoming season. The biggest change is splitting the game into four, 10-minute quarters, turning away from 20-minute halves that have been the norm. Due to the quarter format, teams will be in the free throw double bonus after the fifth personal foul (team) and will reset at the start of the next frame. Previously, teams reach the one-and-one bonus after seven fouls and the double bonus after 10 fouls were committed. In the fourth and overtime periods, a full timeout will now result in the advancement of the ball to half court when under 59.9 seconds (similar to professional basketball). Additional notable rule changes were to post defense and music. Post defenders will now be allowed to place a forearm or open hand with a bend in the elbow on an offensive post player with the ball when there back is to the basket. For music, the NCAA is permitting bands or music to be played during any dead ball situation, not just during timeouts and intermissions.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CSU-P
CSU-P is coming off an 18-12 season, which included a trip to the South Central Regional Tournament, where they were the No.7 seed and fell 73-63 to Colorado - Colorado Springs in their opening game in Canyon, Texas.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason picked the Thunderwolves No.4 in the conference. They debut at No.8 in the D2SIDA South Central Regional poll released Thursday.
They return two starters from last season and Ashley Piper is a preseason All-RMAC selection.
CSU-P defeated a pair of NCAA Div. I programs in exhibition play, defeating Southern Utah 74-51 and Utah Valley State 67-53.
The Thunderwolves finished 11-3 last season at home.

THE SERIES AGAINST CSU-P
CSU-P, formerly known as Southern Colorado, has a 3-2 lead in the all-time series. The home team has won all five prior meetings. Each of the first two all-time meetings came down to the final buzzer. On Dec. 9, 1989 in Lubbock, Burgandy Bass hit the game winning shot at the horn for a 58-56 LCU win. Nearly a year later on Dec. 8, 1989 in Pueblo, LCU rallied back from a 63-55 deficit with 24 points from Sherry Blackwell, but a three-pointer at the buzzer didn't fall and LCU fell 73-72. The last two meetings have been in Pueblo and under Steve Gomez's watch. The prior meeting was on Dec. 2, 2005 with LCU falling 72-64. The Thunderwolves have won the prior two meetings.

PRIOR MEETING VS. CSU-P
Dec. 2, 2005 (Pueblo, Colo.): LCU 64 - CSU-P 72
Thirty-two turnovers shadowed a 51.2% shooting performance by LCU and CSU-Pueblo defeated LCU 72-64. The Thunderwolves benefited off a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double by Kerry Lewis in a contest part of the Chuck Stephens Memorial Classic. LCU received 18 points from Jordan Hampton, who was 5-of-5 from the field (3-of-3 from three), and 15 points off a 7-of-10 shooting performance from Candace Clenney.