SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (November 26, 2016) – Tess Bruffey was two points shy of a triple-double, posting a career high 15 rebounds and matching her own single-game program record with 10 blocks, as her double-double was part of a 47-39 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday morning in a Puerto Rico Clasico contest inside Roberto Clemente Coliseum.
 
Bruffey matched the single-game program record, which she set on Dec. 13, 2014 at Midwestern State. Seven of the blocks came in the second half. Her 15 rebounds topped her prior total high of 14 (Nov. 19 vs. Texas Permian Basin) and was the highest rebound total by an LCU individual since Nicole Hampton recorded 17 last season at Rollins (Nov. 28, 2015, ironically in the second game of last season's Thanksgiving tournament). The double-double for Bruffey is her third of the season and sixth of her career.
 
LCU jumped out with a solid start, starting the game with a 5-0 run led by a three-pointer from Delaney Gaddis. The Lady Chaps received six points in the first quarter by Hannah Harbin, who hit a pair of free throws at the quarter's close to give LCU a 19-12 lead heading into the second quarter. Allison Szabo hit a jumper to build the lead to 21-12, but then LCU went without a field goal over a span of just under four minutes and the Bears came back with a 7-0 run to cut LCU's lead to 21-19. Lenoir-Rhyne outscored LCU 11-5 in the quarter and cut LCU's lead to 24-23 heading into the half.
 
The Bears momentum would end there, as LCU opened the second half on an 11-0 run. Claire Bruffey nailed a three-pointer and LCU led 35-23 with 4:11 left in the quarter. Lenoir-Rhyne was held to three points in the quarter and went without a field goal in the quarter until Alecia Bell's layup with 1:37 remained in the quarter. Claire Bruffey's three-pointer was LCU's final field goal of the third quarter, but they added to the 35-26 lead to start the fourth quarter with a Harbin three-point play 10 seconds into the quarter.  Allison Szabo followed with a three-pointer and LCU took their biggest lead at 41-26. LCU went the final 4:13 without a field goal, but their lead was secure.
 
Harbin was the game's only double-figure scorer, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. LCU was 9-of-11 from the free-throw line (81.8%) in the game that only witnessed 23 combined fouls called. LCU's games in Puerto Rico resulted in an average of 10 less fouls and 10 less free throws per game called than their prior five combined games.
 
TURNING POINT
The third quarter proved to be the turning point of the game, as the Bears opened the second half missing their first 10 field goal attempts, while LCU was on an 11-0 run. Carrying over from the first half, the bears went 8:55 without a field goal.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU won their first game under Steve Gomez when scoring less than 50 points. It marked the first time LCU won a game by scoring less than 50 points since a 48-46 win over Wayland Baptist on Jan. 11, 1997. LCU has now scored less than 50 points in consecutive games for the first time since scoring 47 (Jan.9) and 41 points (Jan.11) of the 1992-93 season.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU returns to the mainland but stays on the road, as Thursday they will be in Bolivar, Mo. to face Southwest Baptist.