EMPORIA, Kan. (December 3, 2016) – 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 benefited 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.
 
LCU falls to 4-5 with the loss and are 1-3 on their current eight-game road trip. It was their first match-up against a NCAA Division II No.1 ranked team since becoming a NCAA member. ESU, scoring a season low 60 points, improved to 8-0 on the season.
 
TURNING POINT
ESU's free-throws in the fourth quarter were the turning point of the game. They did not have a field goal over the game's final 3:51 and scored their last eight points from the line. They only had one field goal over the game's final 9:21, but LCU was unable to take advantage of the situation. In a 5:31 span, LCU was 1-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from the free-throw line, unable to rally from behind.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU was out-shot on attempts 72-48 and mostly due in part to 21 turnovers and a 50-37 rebound advantage for ESU, which included 25 offensive rebounds. The 72 shot attempts were the most by an LCU opponent since Arkansas – Fort Smith produced 76 on Feb. 12, 2015. That same game, UAFS produced 51 rebounds, with 26 on the offensive end, which marked the last time an LCU opponent had at least 25 offensive rebounds and 50 total rebounds.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
With four games over a nine-day span, with stops in Puerto Rico, Missouri and Kansas, LCU finally gets a small break to recover before heading back out for a trip Saturday Dec. 10 to Weatherford, Okla. to face Southwestern Oklahoma State.