SAINT EDWARD'S (6-10, 4-4) at No. 1/2 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-0, 8-0)
Saturday, January 23 - 1:00 PM                                                   
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only                                                                             
All-Time Series: LCU leads 5-4
Tweet #LCUvsSEU
 
ROUND ONE COMPLETE
The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals close out their first run through Heartland Conference opponents Saturday hosting St. Edward's University at 1 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU enters the game atop the conference standings with an 8-0 conference record. St. Mary's and Texas A&M International are the closest team behind them with a 6-3 conference record.
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
No.1/2 Lubbock Christian University shot 61% inside the arc and produced 11 blocks in a 70-34 Heartland Conference victory over University of Texas of the Permian Basin Thursday night inside Rip Griffin Center, placing their overall record at 16-0 to match their best start in program history.
 
Continuing a trend, LCU had a fast start. After UTPB took a 4-3 lead 1:45 into the first quarter, LCU responded with a 15-0 run sparked by Haley Fowler and Allison Szabo. Fowler registered seven points and Szabo had four points during the run, which gave LCU a 17-4 lead with 3:47 remaining in the opening quarter. LCU led 21-7 after the opening quarter and held the Falcons to four points in the second quarter. UTPB was held 2-of-15 (13.3%) from the field in the second quarter and LCU had a 40-11 lead at the break. The Falcons were 5-of-27 (18.5%) from the field in the first half, while LCU was 14-of-26 (53.8%).
 
LCU closed the third quarter with an 8-3 run over the final 4:53 of the quarter and then had a 9-2 run in the fourth quarter to build their lead to its largest (69-28, with 4:03 left in the game). Kellyn Schneider had eight points in the third quarter and Tess Bruffey had four of LCU's 10 points in the fourth quarter.
 
Bruffey finished with 10 points and also had six rebounds, four assists and four blocks. She was the only starter to play more than 17 minutes. Szabo came off the bench to lead all players with a game-high 14 points. She was 5-of-7 from the field and also had six rebounds and a trio of blocks. Hampton (13 points) and Schneider (12 points) also finished in double figures. Schneider had six rebounds and four blocks, while Hampton had six assists, five rebounds and two steals.
 
LCU was 26-of-55 (47.3%) from the field in the game. They were 61% (25/41) inside the arc and a miserable 1-of-14 (7.1%) behind it. Hampton had LCU's lone three-pointer. LCU did block 11 shots, forced 10 steals and 19 turnovers, while also holding UTPB to shoot 21.8% (3/21) from the field. UTPB's Jau'nae Peevy was their only player in double figures in points (10 points).  LCU outscored UTPB 50-10 in the paint, 24-6 in points off turnovers and 12-0 in fast-break points. They also had a 45-30 rebound advantage.
 
FOR STARTERS
LCU is 16-0 to start the season, which matches the best start in program history. The Lady Chaps opened the 2012-2013 season 16-0 and a 17-0 start would mark a new program high. They are one of four NCAA Div. II teams entering Friday undefeated on the season. The others are Ashland, Limestone and Missouri Western.
 
MARGINS
LCU ranks second in the nation in average margin of victory at 28.4, behind only Alaska-Anchorage (31.0). LCU has outscored their opponents by at least 20 points in 14 of their 16 games this season.
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Chaps produced 11 blocks Thursday over UTPB to move into the national lead in blocks per game at 6.4. Kellyn Schneider ranks 11th nationally in blocks per game (2.56) and is 13th nationally in total blocks (41). Teammate Tess Bruffey is not far behind, ranking 14th in blocks per game (2.38) and 17th in total blocks (38).
 
THREE POINT-LESS
LCU entered Thursday's game ranked fourth nationally in three-point shooting (41.2%), but they went 1-of-15 (7.1%) in the game from long range against UTPB. Hampton made a three-pointer to open the second quarter and LCU went on to miss their final 11 attempts in the game. The last time LCU was held to one three-pointer was a 1-of-11 (9.1%) performance on Jan. 24, 2015 vs. St. Edward's. The 7.1% from behind the arc was the team's worst shooting mark from long distance since a 0% shooting mark on Nov.5, 2011 against Metro State.
 
MOVING ON UP
The new national rankings were released Tuesday and LCU is No.1 by D2SIDA and No.2 by WBCA/USA Today (Coaches Poll). This season marks LCU's second season eligible in the D2SIDA poll and the first in the Coaches Poll. Each ranking is their best ever appearance in the ranking. The last human ranking to have LCU ranked No.1 was the NAIA Coaches Poll in the 2012-2013 season. The D2SIDA is voted on by sports information directors and the WBCA/USA Today is voted on by WBCA coaches.
 
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES   
LCU is the only program in NCAA Div. II ranking in the top-five in field goal shooting (nation-best 49.9%) and field goal defense (3rd at holding opponents to a 31.9% shooting mark).
           
MILESTONE WATCH
-Tess Bruffey registered four blocks Thursday and has 124 career blocks. She moved past Candace Clenney and into third place on the program's all-time blocks list.
-Nicole Hampton is six rebounds away from becoming the program's all-time leader in rebounding at 912 rebounds to pass Mamy N'Kolomoni.
-Hampton is also six steals away from passing Sherry Brown (1979-83) to become the program's all-time career steals leader. Brown had 271 career steals.
-Kelsey Hoppel is 15 three-point attempts away from moving into fourth on the all-time career three-point attempts list, moving her past Angie Taylor (1996-00).
-Hoppel is also 12 three-point field goals away from moving past Sierra Lovorn (234 from 2005-09) and into second place on the program's all-time career three-point list.
 
ZANY STAT LINE
LCU leads the nation in a bizarre statistic, as opponents are shooting 58.4 percent (136/233) from the free-throw line against the Lady Chaps this season. However in the prior four games, LCU opponents have shot 70% or better from the line.
 
TIME WARP
Since the NCAA adapted "quarters" this season, LCU had never trailed after any quarter of play until the first quarter on Dec. 19 at St. Mary's. It ended a streak of 36 consecutive quarters in which LCU had led at the completion of the quarter. LCU has led 88.8% of their season through 16 games, with a total amount of time in the lead at 573:00 of their 645 minutes played this season. Their opponents have led a total of 42:19 (6.6%) this season. LCU has led throughout in seven games this season and have trailed less than 40 seconds in 12 of their games.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SEU
• The Hilltoppers are 6-10 overall on the season and 4-4 in conference. They were at Oklahoma Panhandle State Thursday and won 70-51.
• The Heartland Conference preseason polls had SEU preseason picked fourth in the conference.
• SEU has won three of their four games and coming off a consecutive wins for the first time this season.
• Shakera Barnes leads the Hilltoppers, entering the game with 13.8 points and 5.3 assists per game.
• Former Frenship High School product Abby Hopper makes her first return visit to Lubbock as a member of SEU. The freshman used to attend Lady Chaps basketball camps.  
 
THE SERIES AGAINST SEU
With four straight Heartland Conference wins over SEU, LCU has the all-time series lead at 5-4. LCU won 86-70 on Feb. 19, 2015 in their prior meeting in Lubbock.
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. SEU
Feb. 19, 2015 (Lubbock, Texas): LCU 86 - SEU 70
Bailey Haist went 5-for-5 from three-point range as part of a 9-for-10 shooting performance and her career-high 26-point performance helped Lubbock Christian University rebound from a seven-point deficit with a 75% second half shooting performance to defeat St. Edward's University 86-70 in Heartland Conference action inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
St. Edward's led for over 20 minutes of the game and led as much as 33-23 (1:37 left in the first half). SEU made their first four field goal attempts to take the early momentum before going on a 0-of-11 shooting draught. LCU could not take advantage of the opportunity, as they went 10 straight shots without a made field goal during the same stretch. The two teams combined for 7:32 of play without a field goal and 10 minutes into the game LCU trailed 13-5. The Hilltoppers held LCU to a 33.3% (9/27) shooting mark in the first half and led 36-29 at halftime.  Mileka Loydrake and Lexi Fatheree combined for 19 points for SEU in the half.
 
Despite scoring five points in the opening ten minutes, LCU would find their offense, scoring 81 points over the game's final 29:15. LCU opened the second half on a 13-0 run and erased the seven-point halftime deficit. SEU missed their first five shots, while LCU was 8-for-8 to start the half and they made 11 of their first 12 shot attempts of the half. Included the mix was a pair of three-pointers from Haist and another from Tess Bruffey. The Lady Chaps, who have come back from second half deficits in three consecutive games, later locked down the win with a 14-2 run for an 82-60 lead with three minutes remaining.
 
Haist scored 16 of her 26 points in the second half. The Heartland Conference's leader in three-point shooting percentage finished with a career-high five three-pointers. LCU was 5-of-8 from three-point range in the second half (62.5%) and finished the game 41.2% from downtown (7/17).
 
LCU went 75% (21/28) from the field in the second half for a 57-point half. The Lady Chaps out-scored SEU 30-14 in the paint during the second half. Eight different players attempted at least one shot in the second half for LCU and only one player missed more than one shot and no one with a shot attempt missed more than two shots. They combined to shoot 54.5% (30/55) from the field in the game. With a 34-24 advantage in rebounds and a 17-16 advantage in turnovers forced, the game is only the second game this season in which LCU has won winning the rebounding and turnover statistic.
 
Five Lady Chaps finished in double figures. Tess Bruffey had 13 points and joined Haist in double figures alongside Haley Fowler (12 points), Haley Burton (10 points) and Allison Szabo (10 points). Fatheree led SEU in the loss with 16 points and was joined in double figures in points by Loydrake (13 points), Khiani Clark and former Lubbock-Cooper High School product Katy Boren (12 points).