No.15/23 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN vs. METROPOLITAN STATE OF DENVER
Saturday, November 14 - 6:30 PM (Central)                                             
Massari Arena (Pueblo, Colo.)
Live Scoring: http://bit.ly/LCUvMETRO           
Radio: KJTV AM950/100.7FM    
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
Tweet #LCUvsMSUD

OFF AND RUNNIN'
The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals opened the 2015-2016 campaign Friday with a 68-43 victory at Colorado State – Pueblo and they remain in Pueblo, Colo. Saturday to face Metropolitan State University of Denver to wrap up their opening weekend of play and their stay at the Al-Kaly Shrine Classic. If LCU can garner the win, it would mark the first time under head coach Steve Gomez (13th season) in which LCU opened the season 2-0 with the opening two wins coming on the road.
 
FRIDAY REWIND
Playing in her first regular season game since the 2013-2014 season, No.15/23 Lubbock Christian University's Nicole Hampton registered her 33rd career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds to help the Lady Chaparrals claim the first season-opening road victory since the 2006-2007 season with a 68-43 win over Colorado State University – Pueblo Friday evening at Massari Arena.
 
LCU opened the game with a 6-0 lead and held the Thunderwolves off the scoreboard for the first 3:55 of the game. The T-wolves opened the game 1-of-13 from the field and 0-of-6 from the free-throw line, but back-to back three-pointers for CSU-Pueblo, with just over two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, led to a 9-9 tie. LCU opened the second quarter with a 14-10 lead, but a 6-0 run to start the second quarter had CSU-Pueblo leading 16-14.
 
With 7:20 remaining in the second quarter, LCU had already accumulated 13 turnovers.  They would go the remainder of the quarter turnover free and after a media timeout with the game tied 16-16, LCU ended the half with a 14-4 run. Part of the run included CSU-P without a field goal for a span of 5:15.  LCU led 30-20 at the half.
 
CSU-Pueblo was playing their first game under new head coach Jim Turgeon and LCU was not sure what to expect. The Lady Chaps used the halftime to adjust and came out with a strong second half performance. Leading 32-26, LCU went on a 10-2 run and ended the quarter with a 51-33 lead. The Lady Chaps were 7-of-11 (63.6%) shooting in the fourth quarter (held CSU-P to 3-of-15 for 20% from the field in the quarter) to distance themselves for the win. Tess Bruffey led LCU with 11 points in the second half.
 
LCU combined to shoot 62.5% (15/24) in the second half and held CSU-P to a 25.7% (9/35) shooting mark in the half (1/9 from three-point range). Overall, LCU was 50% (24/48) from the field and 84.2% (16/19) from the free-throw line. It was a different story for the T-wolves who finished the game 26.2% (17/65) from the field and 31.3% (5/16) from the free-throw line. The five free-throws made for CSU-P was the fewest free-throw total by an LCU opponent, with at least 10 attempts, since Westmont was held to five on Mar. 17, 2012. The 31.3% was the lowest percentage by an LCU opponent since Northwestern Okla. State was 18.8% (3/16) on Jan. 20, 2011. LCU was able to garner the 25-point win despite committing 23 turnovers and opening the game 0-of-7 from three-point range (responded going 4-of-8 the rest of the way from downtown).
 
Hampton was one of three Lady Chaps in double figures offensively, as she was joined by Bruffey (15 points) and Haley Fowler (10 points). The game was Hampton's 72nd career game with at least 10 points, 16th career game with at least 20 points and 36th career game with at least 10 rebounds. Tuileisu Anderson led CSU-Pueblo with 12 points and Molly Rohrer provided 10 points in the loss. The 43 points matched last season's season low for scoring for CSU-P.
 
LOW ALLOWANCE
LCU held CSU-Pueblo to 43 points in their opener.  It was LCU fewest points allowed in an opener since holding Dallas Christian to 21 points in a 111-21 win on Nov. 4, 2008.
 
ON NOTICE
Friday's opener marked a new era of college women's basketball, as LCU played their first ever game under four quarters and under the plethora of new NCAA endorsed rule changes for the 2015-2016 season. One of the rule changes coming into question is the elimination of the one-and-one free-throws and a five-foul team bonus per quarter resulting in two shots being attempted. LCU attempted 19 free-throws Friday night. Last season, LCU averaged 20.4 free-throws per game. They were also whistled for 18 personal fouls Friday and averaged 15.8 per game last season.
 
STILL WAITING
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. All were dressed Friday, but none checked into the game. They will be looking for their first action Saturday.
 
FOR OPENERS
As mentioned, the Lady Chaps entered Friday dropping five of their prior eight season openers. With their Friday win, LCU is 24-13 all-time and 8-5 under head coach Steve Gomez. LCU had lost their last four prior season openers on the road and had not won a season opener on the road since defeating LSU-Shreveport to open the 2006-2007 season.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
-   Kelsey Hoppel is 11 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 five 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 nine points away from 700 career points.
-   Nicole Hampton is six points away from 1,300 career points.
-   Nicole Hampton is two steals away from 227 career steals, which would move her past Tabitha Qubty-Sellers and into third all-time in program history.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT METRO
• Metro State is seeking to get back into the national spotlight after going 13-13 last season and finishing ninth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with a 10-12 mark. They closed last season losing their last four games.
• The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason picked the Roadrunners sixth in the conference and third in the Rocky Division.
• They return three starters from last season, including RMAC Freshman of the Year Georgia Ohrdorf. The senior-less squad lost Deni Jacobs, who was a First Team All-RMAC selection last year. Ohrdorf is a Preseason All-RMAC selection.
• Metro defeated Northern New Mexico 74-42 and Grand View 77-47 to complete their exhibition season.
• Metro opened their season Friday in Pueblo, Colo. with a 63-59 loss to Texas A&M Commerce. Ohrdorf, a Wollongong, Australia native (same hometown as former Lady Chap Lauren Sparks), had 14 points and eight rebounds for Metro. The two teams combined 1-of-23 (4.3%) from three-point range.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST METRO
The all-time series is tied 1-1, with the road team winning each meeting. The first meeting was on Nov.5, 2011 (game was an exhibition game for Metro State) with Metro defeating LCU 61-44 in a contest LCU was 0-of-15 from three-point range. LCU claimed a win in the following meeting 81-63 on Nov. 16, 2012 in Denver, as Metro was ranked No.7 nationally and LCU carried a No.1 ranking in NAIA.
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. METRO
Nov. 16, 2012 (Denver, Colo.): LCU 81 - Metro 63
Nicole Hampton posted 23 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double and the Lady Chaparrals used a 25-2 run to defeat Metropolitan State inside Auraria Events Center to open their play at the Holiday Inn Select Classic.
 
The game did not have the start LCU was looking for and Metro State jumped on the early emotions of their season opener. The Roadrunners opened the game on an 8-2 run in the opening 3:56 and led as much as 15-8 with 12:17 left in the first half before LCU started to get on their offensive roll. LCU responded with a jumper by Hampton to jumpstart a 10-0 run highlighted by back-to-back three-point field goals from Kelsey Hoppel. The Lady Chaps then went on to close the final 5:21 of the half with Hoppel connecting on her third three-point field goal of the half to ignite an 11-0 run to close the half for a 35-26 Lady Chaps halftime lead.
 
Kelsey Canavan initially closed the 13-0 run with a field goal to open the second half, but following a Metro State bucket, Emily Atkins connected on a pair of long range baskets to start a 12-0 Lady Chaps run. Atkins, who scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, helped give the Lady Chaps a 49-28 lead with 15:13 remaining. Combining the pair of runs, LCU out-scored MSU 25-2 over a span of 10:08. LCU was 6-for-8 (75%) from beyond the arc in the second half and the sharp shooting helped LCU lead as much as 24 points (63-39, 8:46 remaining). They never trailed by less than 15 points the final 17:07.
 
Hampton registered her fourth consecutive double-double and her fifth of the season with the 23 points and 12 rebounds. LCU also received 16 points from Hoppel and 12 from Atkins. Hoppel was 6-of-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from long range. The Lady Chaps were 9-of-14 (64.3%) from three-point range, which made up for their 0-for-17 effort from downtown in their 2011 season opener against Metro State in Lubbock. Overall, LCU was 56.6% (30/53) from the field in the game and they posted a 65.4% (17/26) shooting prowess in the second half. They held MSU 37.3% (22/59) from the field and just 1-of-12 (8.3%) from long distance. MSU did receive a career-high 21 points from Amy Nelson and 12 points from Kristin Valencia in the loss. One of the few low spots in the game for LCU was a free-throw miss by Hampton, which was her first miss of the season. Hampton, who snapped the NAIA Div. I record with 62 consecutive made free-throws last season, opened this season with 20 consecutive made free-throws.