ROGERS STATE (12-10, 7-4) at No.1/2 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (21-0, 13-0)
Friday, February 13 - 1:00 PM                                                    
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KTTU 97.3 FM                
All-Time Series: LCU 13-5
 
CLINCHING TIME
The No.1/2 Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals have the opportunity to clinch a Heartland Conference regular season title Saturday, hosting Rogers State University Saturday at 1 p.m. LCU is 21-0 overall and 13-0 in conference to lead the standings. A win Saturday or a win by St. Edward's at Texas A&M International would allow LCU to clinch a second consecutive Heartland Conference regular season title.
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
Nicole Hampton, two assists shy of a triple-double, completed her third straight double-double performance, as her 22 points and 12 rebounds led No.1/2 Lubbock Christian University to an 82-54 Heartland Conference victory over University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Thursday night inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
UAFS came out strong in the contest, opening the game with a three-pointer from Candice Followwell and holding LCU without a field goal for the first 4:23 of the game. LCU did however score their first six points from the free-throw line and never trailed by more than three-points in the quarter. Hampton took over once LCU trailed 13-11 with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter, as she scored five straight points and sparked a 7-0 run to give LCU an 18-13 lead.
 
LCU never trailed after the 7-0 run. Teams traded buckets most of the second quarter until the final four minutes of the half. Ashley Bean hit a three-pointer for UAFS, cutting LCU's lead to 28-27 with 3:53 remaining in the half, but LCU responded with an 8-2 run. A late bucket by Skai Thompson ended the stretch and cut LCU's halftime lead to 36-31. Hampton had LCU's final four points of the half and finished the half with 17 points and nine rebounds.
 
The Lady Chaps grabbed some breathing room in the third quarter. Haley Fowler opened the half with a three-pointer 19 seconds into the quarter and it was one of three consecutive field goal attempts LCU hit. They produced an 11-1 run midway through the quarter and led 56-39. Fowler and Tess Bruffey each had seven points in the third quarter and LCU shot 53.3% (8/15) in the quarter (after shooting 37.5%, 9-for-24, in the first half). The offensive surge led to a 62-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Lubbock Christian out-scored the Lady Lions 20-7 in the fourth quarter. LCU went on a 17-2 run during the quarter, with Bruffey scoring nine points.  UAFS was 3-of-15 (20%) from the field during the fourth quarter.
 
LCU finished with four players in double-figures and Hampton was not the only Lady Chap with a double-double. Bruffey matched a season-high with 20 points and recorded her third career double-double with 10 rebounds (first of the season). Hampton's double-double was her third straight of the season (sixth overall on the season) and her 38th of her career. Her 22 points marked her 19th career game of 20 or more points (fourth of the season) and her 90th career game of 10 or more points. Fowler provided 13 points and Hoppel chipped in 10 for LCU. Andrea Wilson was UAFS's only player in double-figures, as she scored 11 in the loss.
 
Both teams strived at the line, as UAFS was 90% (9/10) and LCU was 88.2% (30/34). UAFS made their first nine attempts, while LCU made their first 11 attempts from the line. LCU produced 13 blocks in the game, which was one off the team's record inside Rip Griffin Center. Bruffey had a season-high six blocks placing her four shy of a triple-double.
 
FOR STARTERS
LCU is 21-0 to start the season. It is their best start in program history, surpassing a 16-0 start from the 2012-2013 season. They are one of two NCAA Div. II teams entering Saturday undefeated on the season. The other is Limestone.
 
MARGINS
LCU ranks second in the nation in average margin of victory at 28.4, behind only Alaska-Anchorage (29.9). LCU has outscored their opponents by at least 20 points in 18 of their 21 games this season.
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Chaps lead the nation in blocks per game with an average of 6.8 per game. Kellyn Schneider ranks 13th nationally in blocks per game (2.5) and is 15th nationally in total blocks (53). Teammate Tess Bruffey is not far behind, ranking 15th in blocks per game (2.48) and 17th in total blocks (52). Schneider's 53 blocks this season are ranking as the fourth highest single-season total in program history and Bruffey's 52 ranks as the fifth best single season mark.
 
RANKINGS ROLLER COASTER
The new national rankings were released Tuesday and LCU remained No.1 by D2SIDA, but fell to No.2 WBCA/USA Today (Coaches Poll) after a two-week stay at No.1. This season marks LCU's second season eligible in the D2SIDA poll and the first in the Coaches Poll. Jan. 19 marked LCU's debut at No.1 in the D2SIDA Poll and Jan. 26 marked their debut at No.1 in the Coaches Poll. LCU is receiving 10 of 15 first-place votes in the D2SIDA poll and 13 of 24 first-place votes in the Coaches Poll.  The D2SIDA poll 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 which ranks in the top-five in field goal shooting (third at 49.8%) and field goal defense (third at holding opponents to a 32.3% shooting mark).
           
MILESTONE WATCH
-Nicole Hampton made 11 free-throws Thursday and moved into fifth on LCU's all-time free-throw shooting list for made attempts. She has 450 free-throws made and moved past Beth Capps, who had 441 from 1993-97.
 
-Kelsey Hoppel is 10 three-point attempts away from moving into third on the all-time career three-point attempts list, moving her past Haley Burton (559 from 1996-00).
 
-Hoppel had two three-pointers Thursday and has 236 three-pointers to move past Sierra Lovorn (234 from 2005-09) and into sole possession of second place on the program's all-time career three-point list.
 
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 90.2% of their season through 20 games, with a total amount of time in the lead at 761:55 of their 845 minutes played this season. Their opponents have led a total of 46:51 (5.6%) this season. LCU has led throughout in 10 games this season and have trailed less than 40 seconds in 15 of their games. Their current streak (entering Thursday) is 30 consecutive quarters completed with the lead.
 
THEY HAVE HEART-LAND
As active roster members, redshirt-seniors Nicole Hampton and Kelsey Hoppel are 33-0 in Heartland Conference games. They have also been part of 35 consecutive conference wins. Their last loss in a conference game was Feb. 14, 2013 against Rogers State.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RSU
• The Hillcats are 12-10 overall on the season, 7-7 in conference and 5-5 on the road this season. They ended a three-game losing streak with a 75-52 win at Oklahoma Panhandle State.
• The Heartland Conference preseason polls had RSU preseason picked ninth in the conference.
• RSU and LCU are one of three Heartland Conference programs that were Sooner Athletic Conference foes. RSU is the only program in the conference not eligible for postseason play as part of their transition from NAIA to NCAA status.
• Kami Bunch is RSU's scoring leader in points per game (10.1) this season. She posted 20 points against LCU in their prior meeting.
• RSU opponents have only shot better than 40% from the field or better in five games this season.  Opponents average a 34.0% shooting mark against them this season.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST RSU
LCU has a 13-5 advantage in the all-time series after a 68-59 win in Claremore on Jan. 14, 2016. LCU swept the season series last season and has won nine of the last 10 meetings (RSU has one win in the series since 2010-2011 season), including the last six. RSU's last win was a 78-70 win on Feb. 14, 2013. LCU is 6-2 all-time in Lubbock in the series.
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. RSU
Jan. 14, 2016 (Claremore, Okla.): LCU 68 - RSU 59
Lubbock Christian University was able to overcome a halftime deficit for the first time this season and Nicole Hampton set a program single-game record with 15 successful free throw attempts in a 68-59 Heartland Conference road victory at Rogers State, who was previously unbeaten this season at Claremore Expo Center.
 
In 52 prior quarters played this season, LCU had only trailed at the conclusion of one quarter (first quarter at St. Mary's on Dec. 19, 2015). Thursday, LCU found themselves playing from behind most of the first half.  The Lady Chaps had a miserable start, opening the game 3-of-11 (27.3%) from the field in the first quarter of play. Meanwhile, RSU, who opened the game with a three-pointer from Courtney Smith, went 3-for-5 from long-range in the quarter for a 17-12 lead.  The Lady Chaps went a span of 7:45 without a field goal and found themselves trailing 19-12 two minutes into the second quarter. Tess Bruffey had a pair of field goals to serve as bookends of the dry spell.  Bruffey's field goal to end the drought turned out to be the first of three LCU field goals in a span of over a minute leading to an 8-0 run for a 20-18 lead. RSU responded back with an 8-0 run of their own and led as much as 29-22 in the quarter before LCU closed the half on a 7-1 run to trail 30-29 at the half.
 
LCU went on a 7-of-10 shooting stretch in the third quarter, and back-to-back three-pointers by Tess Bruffey sparked a 16-5 run to help LCU rally from behind and take a 45-35 lead. The 16-5 run was also part of 23-6 scoring run carrying over from the close of the second half for LCU. The Lady Chaps out-scored RSU 10-0 in paint scoring and led 47-39 heading into the fourth quarter. LCU led as much as 11 (56-45) in the fourth quarter, but RSU didn't back away, as they responded from an 11-point deficit with an 8-2 run and cut LCU's lead to 58-53 with 4:23 to go. LCU kept their distance with free-throw shooting.  A three-pointer by Kelsey Hoppel with 3:59 left was LCU's final field goal of the game. They scored their final seven points from the free-throw line to preserve the victory.
 
Hampton nearly completed a rare feat, as she was a rebound and a pair of assists away from a triple-double. What she did complete found its way into the program record books. Hampton broke her own single-game program mark (14, which was also shared by Becky Hinojos) with 15 free throws made. She drained the 15 free throws on 17 attempts to tie the program single-game mark for attempts (last completed on Mar. 1, 2002 by Mamy N'Kolomoni).  The 15 made free throws ranks tied as the fourth most in a Heartland Conference contest in conference history. The mark is also tied as the third most by a NCAA Div. II player this season. She finished the game with a game-high 21 points and also produced nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.
 
The Lady Chaps went 19-of-27 (70.4%) from the line as a team, going 10-of-12 (83.3%) in the second half. RSU was 8-of-11 (72.7%) from the line, which was a season-high by a Chaps opponent. Bruffey joined Hampton in double figures with 18 points. She matched a career high with three three-pointers. She also had four blocks. Kellyn Schneider produced a game-high 12 rebounds. Kami Bunch led RSU with 20 points and Natasha Kindred provided 12 points in the loss (all 12 came in the fourth quarter).