No.1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (22-0, 14-0) at ST. EDWARD'S (9-13, 7-7)
Thursday, February 18 - 5:30 PM                              
Recreation and Convocation Center (Austin, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm        
All-Time Series: LCU 6-4

CONFERENCE TITLE HOLDERS
The No.1 Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals claimed their second consecutive Heartland Conference regular season title Saturday after a win over Rogers State to improve to 22-0 overall and 14-0 in conference play with four regular season games remaining. This week, LCU has their final regular season road trip of the season, heading to Austin, Texas Thursday to face St. Edward's and then to Odessa, Texas to face Texas-Permian Basin Saturday.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
It was fitting that the day before Valentine's Day that the No.1/2 Lady Chaparrals got their "heart." Lubbock Christian University used a 26-0 advantage in points off turnovers and claimed their second consecutive Heartland Conference Regular Season title with an 89-41 win over Rogers State University Saturday afternoon inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
This season marks LCU's third season in the Heartland Conference and for a third straight season they will finish atop the conference standings. LCU was unable to claim the distinction as "regular season conference champions" until last season, so technically this title marks LCU's second consecutive conference regular season title. Overall, it is the fourth conference regular season title in program history.  LCU claimed Sooner Athletic Conference titles in 2007 and 2012.
 
There was little question if LCU would clinch the title Saturday. After surrendering a 5-0 lead, they answered a RSU 6-0 run with an 8-0 run. Nicole Hampton had seven points in the first quarter and they closed the first quarter with a 15-4 run to end the quarter with a 20-10 lead.
 
After opening the game 1-of-5 from the field, they closed the half 15-of-23 (65%) from the field. Hampton had 14 points in 19 minutes with five assists in the half. LCU led 46-20 at the half after an 18-4 run to start the second quarter. Blair Taylor (six) and Hampton (eight) combined for 14 points in the second quarter.
 
The Lady Chaps were 9-of-12 from the field in the third quarter and Kelsey Hoppel hit a pair of three-pointers to help LCU out-score RSU 19-10 in the third quarter. LCU went on a 12-0 run over a span of 4:31 carrying over from the third quarter to the fourth quarter. The Lady Chaps went to their bench most of the second half and the bench players took advantage of the playing opportunity.  LCU produced 40 points in the game from their bench, with 24 of those 40 points coming in the second half. Nineteen of LCU's 24 points in the fourth quarter came from the bench.
 
LCU produced some lopsided numbers in the victory. The Lady Chaps shot 58.2% (32/55) from the field and went 59.3% (16/27) in the second half, while RSU was 28.6% (16/56) from the field. LCU assisted on 26 of 32 field goals with 11 different players gathering an assist. They also produced 12 blocks, with Kellyn Schneider matching a career high (for a fourth time) with eight blocks. LCU forced 21 turnovers and took advantage of 13 steals with a 26-0 scoring advantage in points off turnovers.
 
Hampton led LCU with 14 points and seven assists. Kelsey Hoppel and Hannah Harbin each finished with 10 points. Harbin's season high marked her fifth career game with at least 10 points (playing in her 75th career game). LCU received points from 13 of their 14 players that touched the floor and 10 of the players had at least five points. RSU was led by Heather Roberts, who had eight points.

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 Thursday undefeated on the season. The other is Limestone.

MARGINS
LCU has moved into the national lead in average margin of victory at 29.3. They have outscored their opponents by at least 20 points in 19 of their 22 games this season.

BLOCK PARTY
The Lady Chaps lead the nation in blocks per game with an average of 7.0 per game. They also lead in total blocks  (154). Kellyn Schneider ranks 11th nationally in blocks per game (2.8) and is 12th nationally in total blocks (61). Teammate Tess Bruffey is not far behind, ranking 16th in blocks per game (2.4) and 22nd in total blocks (52). Schneider's 61 blocks this season are ranking as the fourth highest single-season total in program history. Schneider enters the week needing one block to become the program's career block leader.
 
BACK ON TOP
The new national rankings were released Tuesday and LCU remained No.1 by D2SIDA and made a return to No.1 in the WBCA/USA Today (Coaches Poll), but they share the spot with Alaska Anchorage. 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 11 of 15 first-place votes in the D2SIDA poll and 12 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.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
The NCAA released their first South Central Region regional rankings of the season Wednesday and LCU was ranked No.1 in the region.  The final regional rankings determine the eight-team regional field to open NCAA Div. II postseason play (following conference tournaments).

1    Lubbock Christian
2    West Texas A&M
3    Colorado State - Pueblo
4    Black Hills State
5    Texas Woman's University
6    Colorado School of Mines
7    Angelo State
8    Regis (Colorado)
9    Colorado Christian
10  Colorado - Colorado Springs
 
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES   
LCU is the only program in NCAA Div. II which ranks in the top-five in field goal shooting (second at 50.2%) and field goal defense (NCAA Div.II leaders holding opponents to a 32.2% shooting mark).
           
MILESTONE WATCH
-Nicole Hampton is three free-throws away from moving into third on LCU's all-time free-throw shooting list for made attempts (would pass Mamy N'Kolomoni, who had 456 from 1998-02). She is six makes away from second (passing Brittany Roberts, 459 from 2008-12) and 12 from the program's all-time mark (Emily Pool, 464  from 2010-14).

-Hampton is 27 field goal attempts away from 1,000 career attempts.

-Hampton is 16 field goal makes away from 536 career field goals, which would move her into fifth all-time in program history and past Jordan Hampton (2005-09).

-Kellyn Schneider is one block away from the program's career mark in blocks (175).

-Kelsey Hoppel is five 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).  Eleven would place her past Jordan Hampton (565 from 2005-09) and into second on the program's all-time list.

RECOGNITION
Nicole Hampton became the first U.S. Basketball Writers Association NCAA Div. II Women's Basketball National Player of the Week in Lubbock Christian University program history, as the USBWA announced Hampton as the recipient for games of the week ending Feb. 14.
 
Hampton, who claimed the Heartland Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week Monday, had another impressive week in leading the Lady Chaparrals to a 2-0 week and helping them clinch their second consecutive Heartland Conference regular season title. She was 10-of-14 (.714%) from the field and averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. She was two assists shy of a triple-double against Arkansas-Fort Smith, as she had 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Against Rogers State, she had a flawless performance, going 5-of-5 from the field (including 1-for-1 from three-point range), 3-of-3 from the free-throw line, produced a block and steal and seven assists while committing no turnovers. On the week, she had 15 assists and two turnovers.
 
Hampton ranks second nationally in assist/turnover ratio at 3.3, 10th in assist per game (5.9), 20th in steals per game (2.7), 16th in assists (129) and 14th in free-throw percentage (88.1%). She leads the conference in the aforementioned categories except steals per game (second in the conference).
 
The Canyon, Texas native is LCU's first ever recipient of the USBWA honor.  The last and only other prior time a Lady Chap was recognized in a national weekly honor was Feb. 28, 2012, as Kelsey Canavan was a NAIA National Player of the Week.

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 90.4% of their season through 22 games, with a total amount of time in the lead at 800:08 of their 885 minutes played this season. Their opponents have led a total of 48:06 (5.4%) 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 34 consecutive quarters completed with the lead.

THEY HAVE HEART-LAND
As active roster members, redshirt-seniors Nicole Hampton and Kelsey Hoppel are 34-0 in Heartland Conference games. They have also been part of 37 consecutive conference wins. Their last loss in a conference game was Feb. 14, 2013 against Rogers State.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SEU
• The Hilltoppers are 9-13 overall on the season and 7-7 in conference to enter the week. They are 6-7 at home, winning three of their last four home games. Their 7-7 conference record has them in sixth in the conference.
• The Heartland Conference preseason polls had SEU preseason picked fourth in the conference.
• SEU is seeking consecutive wins for the first time since Jan. 16 and 21 after a 73-63 win over Texas A&M International.
• Shakera Barnes leads the Hilltoppers, entering the week with 14.4 points and 5.1 assists per game. She posted 18 points in the prior meeting vs. LCU.
• Khiani Clark leads the conference and is 13th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4).  

THE SERIES AGAINST SEU
With five straight Heartland Conference wins over SEU, LCU has the all-time series lead at 6-4. LCU won 78-62 on Jan. 23 in their prior meeting in Lubbock this season.

PRIOR MEETING VS. SEU
Jan. 23, 2016 (Lubbock, Texas): LCU 78 - SEU 62
No.1/2 Lubbock Christian University improved to a program best 17-0 start as they produced 28 points in the opening quarter en route to a 78-62 win over St. Edward's University.
 
LCU, coming off a dreadful 1-of-15 performance from long range their prior game, opened Saturday's game with a three-pointer from Nicole Hampton on their opening possession. It led to a 17-2 run to open the game over the game's opening 4:12. Tess Bruffey had seven points during the LCU run and finished with 13 points in the quarter. Kelsey Hoppel hit two three-pointers in the opening quarter to give them a 22-5 lead with 4:46 remaining in the quarter. St. Edward's would come back with a trio of three-pointers by Lexi Fatheree to cut LCU's lead to 26-16 before the quarter would end with a 28-16 LCU lead.
 
The Lady Chaps produced six field goals in the second quarter and four were from downtown, with Bailey Haist and Blair Taylor adding to a pair hit by Hoppel. LCU led as much as 18 points (38-20) in the quarter and took a 44-28 lead into the locker room at the break. LCU produced 16 field goals in the opening half, with nine inside the arc and seven behind.
 
Lubbock Christian put the game out of reach in the third quarter with a 12-2 run, with seven of LCU's 12 points coming from the line.  LCU was 7-of-14 (50%) from the field in the third quarter and added 11 points from the line (11-of-14) in the quarter for a 26-point quarter. Eight different Lady Chaps had at least a point in the quarter and LCU took a 70-46 lead into the final frame.
 
LCU went the final 8:10 without a field goal in the game. They had one field goal in the quarter and it was tallied by Allea Harris (her first two-point field goal of the season). LCU scored their final six points of the game from the free-throw line.
 
Nicole Hampton finished the game with six rebounds and her final rebound came late in the fourth quarter, which was her 912th rebound to become the program's all-time career leader in the category. Hampton, who moved past Mamy N'Kolomoni (911 rebounds from 1998-02), finished the game with 15 points and eight assists to go with her six boards.
 
Hoppel led LCU with 16 points off a 5-of-7 three-point shooting performance. She also produced a game-high four steals. Hampton and Bruffey finished with 15 points. Shakera Barnes, who had a game-high 18 points, led SEU's offense. Fatheree finished with 14 points, with 12 scored in the opening half.  LCU out-scored the Hilltoppers 22-9 in points off turnovers and 22-7 in points from the free-throw line. SEU was whistled for 16 more fouls (26-10) than LCU.