LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (4-5) at SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA STATE (5-3)
Saturday, December 10, 2016 - 1:00 p.m.
Pioneer Cellular Event Center (Weatherford, Okla.)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU leads 2-1
QUICK TRIP
Lubbock Christian University's eight-game road trip continues Saturday in Weatherford, Okla., where LCU faces Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The contest is LCU's fifth game of the trip, which spans 39 days and covers four different states and one U.S. territory (Puerto Rico). LCU is 1-3 on the trip, which includes a pair of contests against ranked opponents.
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Lubbock Christian University held No.1 Emporia State to one two-point field goal in the second half and five two-point field goals in the entire contest, but the 10 points the Lady Hornets scored inside the perimeter was enough to defeat the Lady Chaparrals 60-50 Saturday afternoon at White Auditorium.
Emporia State, entering the game averaging 99.1 points a game through their first seven games of the season (four games with over 100 points), was held to a 10.9% shooting percentage inside the perimeter, going 5-for-46 in the game. They were 1-for-19 (5.3%) inside the perimeter in the second half, with an and-one old fashion three-point play by Tiana Moala for her only points of the game and the team's only second half two-point field goal. The Lady Hornets were able to score 50 points from behind the line, whether it was the free-throw line or the three-point line. Of their 16 field goals in the game, ESU tallied 11 from three-point range (33 points). They also went 17-for-21 from the free-throw line, knocking down 14 in the second half.
ESU opened the game with a three-pointer by Kelly Moten and had to bounce back from a 7-3 LCU lead with five three-pointers in the first quarter. Moten, who entered the game with six three-pointers through the opening seven games of the season, hit three three-pointers in the first quarter to help the Lady Hornets to a 17-12 lead.
LCU was sluggish getting points to start the second quarter.
Allison Szabo ended a Lady Chaps scoring drought of 3:58 with a field goal, but it was answered by a three-pointer from Addie Lackey, which was part of a 9-2 ESU run to start the quarter to build the lead to 25-14 with six minutes left in the half.
Tess Bruffey,
Hannah Harbin and
Bobbi Chitsey helped LCU respond with a 6-0 run to cut the Lady Hornets lead to 26-20 with 3:47 remaining in the half. Lackey produced ESU's seventh three-pointer of the half, late in the half, to help the Lady Hornets to a 32-22 halftime lead.
Kyrstie Miller opened the second half with a pair of ESU's trio of three-pointers in the opening 3:27 of the half to produce their largest lead of the game at 41-24. The Lady Chaps ended a 12-0 ESU run (all three-pointers) and a 5:19 scoring drought with a basket by Harbin, which fueled a 9-0 run.
Delaney Gaddis capped the run with a Lady Chaps three-pointer to cut the deficit to 41-33 with 3:02 to go in the third quarter. ESU went the final 6:33 of the third quarter without a field goal (ESU ended up going 7:11 without a field goal) and LCU outscored the Lady Hornets 15-11 in the quarter to trail 43-37 through three quarters.
The six-point deficit would be as close as LCU would get, as the Lady Hornets benefitted off 12 free throws in the fourth quarter. Moten was 6-for-6 from the line in the quarter.
Bobbi Chitsey connected on a three-pointer for LCU with 2:15 remaining, cutting the deficit to 52-45, but LCU would go the next 2:12 without a field goal and ESU survived with the win.
Moten led all scorers with 18 points, despite an 0-for-11 shooting drought in the game. She had four three-pointers (4-of-10 shooting) and six free throws to make up the 18 points. She was one of four Lady Hornets in double figures in points, as she was joined by Lackey (11 points), Miller (10 points) and Megan Holloway (10 points). Miller added 12 rebounds to complete a double-double. ESU was 22.2% (16/22) from the field, going 11-of-26 (42.3%) from three-point range. They were 14.3% (2/14) from the field in the fourth quarter, with 12 of their 17 points in the quarter tallied from the free-throw line. LCU, 39.6% (19/48) from the field, was led by a 12-point performance from Bruffey, who finished the game with nine rebounds and six blocks. Szabo finished with nine points to surpass 700 career points (705). LCU out-scored ESU 28-8 in the paint, but 21 LCU turnovers led to a 19-5 Lady Hornets advantage in points off turnovers. The Lady Chaps produced 11 blocks.
BLOCK PARTY RETURNS
LCU led the nation in blocks last season and one of the big contributors in LCU's block success was
Kellyn Schneider, who rewrote the Heartland Conference record books in blocks. Schneider, who had over 200 blocks in her two-year LCU career has graduated (now an assistant on the LCU staff) and is no longer on the roster, but LCU is still one of the top defensive teams in the nation in blocks. The Lady Chaps are second in the nation in blocks (45), with
Tess Bruffey (23) ranking third nationally and
Allison Szabo (13) ranking 17th nationally. Each are top two leaders in the conference. Bruffey matched a program single-game record and career record with 10 blocks Saturday against Lenoir-Rhyne. She moved into second on LCU's all-time career blocks list with 187.
DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE RECORD
Through nine games, LCU is looking at a 4-5 record, which is their worst nine-game start under head coach
Steve Gomez and the worst since the start of the 2000-2001 season. That stated, LCU has not played the easiest of schedules. LCU, who is 3-0 at home, has played six of their nine games away from home and their schedule of completed games ranks as tied for the eighth toughest schedule in NCAA Div. II, as their opponents have combined for a 55-22 record (through Dec.8) for a 71.4% win percentage. LCU's five games lost have come against opponents that have combined for a 36-7 record (83.7% win percentage). Meanwhile, LCU's men's program has played the third toughest schedule in NCAA Div. II. The NCAA has the Lady Chaps future opponents with a combined 52.2% win percentage.
Record of Teams LCU has lost to (through Dec.8)
Metro State 6-3
Colorado State - Pueblo 9-0
No.19 Grand Valley State 6-2
Southwestern Baptist 6-2
No.1 Emporia State 9-0
Total: 36-7
Record of Teams LCU has defeated (through Dec. 8)
Colorado School of Mines 6-5
UTPB 4-5
Wayland Baptist 5-2
Lenoir-Rhyne 4-3
Total: 19-15
D-FENCE
LCU's defense held Emporia State, who led NCAA Div. II at the time, to a season low 22.2% shooting from the field (only 10 points allowed inside the arc). The mark has LCU's defense ranking fifth nationally, holding the opposition to a 31% shooting mark, despite ranking 256th nationally in three-point shooting defense (34.9%). LCU has allowed 59 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 29% shooting mark.
MILESTONES
-
Tess Bruffey is three blocks shy of eclipsing 200 career blocks and is eight blocks away from 205, which would move her into the top spot, past
Kellyn Schneider, as LCU's career blocks leader.
-
Allison Szabo is 11 blocks shy of 93 career blocks., which would move her into fifth on LCU's career blocks list and ahead of Mamy N'Kolomoni, who had 93 blocks from 1998-2002.
BLOCKING THINGS OUT
LCU, who led NCAA in blocks last season, leads the NCAA this season in blocks per game (6.8) and is second in total blocks (61).
Tess Bruffey ranks third nationally in blocks (33) and blocks per game (4.7).
FROM THE LINE
The Lady Chaps have been in the top-10 most of the season in fouls per game, with an average of 14.6 per game, but despite the low average of fouls, their opposition has attempted an average of 2.4 more free throw attempts per game and has made 2.4 more free throws more per game. Over the prior two games, LCU opponents are a combined 38-of-48 from the line (79.2%), while LCU is 17-of-26 (65.4%). In the last five minutes of the combined past two games, the opposition has out-scored LCU 19-5.
ON THE BOARDS
LCU's
Tess Bruffey ranks tied for 24th nationally with an average of 10.6 rebounds per game. She has had at least 10 rebounds in three games this season. Prior to this season, the junior only had at least 10 rebounds in three games (63 game span).
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SWOSU
• The Lady Bulldogs are coming off a 20-11 record last season, which included a 12-5 home record.
• The Great American Conference (GAC) preseason picked SWOSU to finish third in the conference. They went 14-8 in conference play last season.
• SWOSU is 5-3 on the season and coming off a 94-77 loss Thursday at Oklahoma Christian. They return home where they are 2-0 on the season and have won five straight dating back to last season. SWOSU is 2-2 this season in non-conference contests.
• The Lady Bulldogs rank 41st in the nation in three-point field goal attempts (197), yet fourth in the GAC in the category. Individually, they do not have one player in the top five in the GAC in three-point attempts, as Hailey Tucker (48), Savannah Gray (43) and Hayden Priddy (42) balance out the attempts.
• Hailey Tucker leads the GAC in points per game (18), defensive rebounds per game (7) and field goals made (51).
THE SERIES AGAINST SWOSU
LCU is 2-1 all-time against SWOSU and 1-0 in meetings in Weatherford, Okla. The first two all-time meetings were each neutral site contests, with SWOSU winning in Wichita Falls, Texas on Dec. 5, 1992 (87-53) and LCU winning in Plainview, Texas on Nov. 25, 2000 (79-63). The previous meeting was on Nov.10, 2012, with LCU winning 93-71.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. SWOSU
Nov. 12, 2012 (Weatherford, Okla.) - LCU:93, SWOSU: 71
The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals advanced to 5-0 on the young 2011-2012 season with a 93-71 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State University with five players posting double digits in points to close out play in the SWOSU Classic.
The Lady Chaps had several beneficial runs in the game offensively. A 10-0 run with 6:33 remaining in the first half and a 9-0 run with 11:41 in the second half helped the Lady Chaps surge to the 22-point win. They also had a stretch of out-scoring 13-5 to close out the first half and start the second half. LCU led as much as 27 points and never led by less than 14 points in the second half.
Nicole Hampton posted her third double-double of the season with 13 rebounds (matches a career high) and 24 points. Along with Hampton, Kelsey Canavan (15), Courtney Wilson (12), Emily Atkins (18) and
Kelsey Hoppel (10) all contributed double figures in the scoring column for the Lady Chaps. In the first half of competition, LCU was 13-28 (46.4%) from the field holding SWOSU to 8-34 (23.5%). The second half was also a strong shooting performance for the Lady Chaps going 19-27 (70.4%) while SWOSU was 16-30 (53.3%) from the field. It combined for a 58.2% (32/55) shooting performance in the game for LCU. They were 15-of-16 (93.8%) from the free throw line in the game and finished 85.7% (24-of-28) in the game. LCU dominated in the paint out scoring SWOSU 42-26 and also had an 11-8 advantage on points off turnovers. The Bulldogs outscored the Lady Chaps 42-21 with points of the bench.
