LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (9-7, 4-1) at ST. EDWARD'S (10-6, 6-1)
Thursday, January 19, 2017 - 5:30 p.m.
Recreation & Convocation Center (Austin, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU leads 8-4
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INTERSTATE LOVE SONG
Lubbock Christian University rides a season-high four-game win streak and has won four of their last five games, as they spend the week on I-35 with a stop in Austin (at St. Edward's) Thursday and Oklahoma City (at Oklahoma Christian) Saturday as the second and third games of an eventual four-game road trip. Once the trip is complete, LCU will have played 14 of 19 games away from home. LCU enters the week with a 4-1 Heartland Conference record (9-7 overall) and in third place in the conference standings (one of three teams with only one conference loss).
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Lubbock Christian University used a 30-point second quarter and rolled to a season high four-game win streak with a 78-48 Heartland Conference road victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State University Thursday evening at Oscar Williams Field House.
It was the defense that got LCU going early on in the contest. LCU held OPSU without a point for the first four minutes and held them without a field goal until 41 seconds remained in the opening quarter. LCU opened the game with three-pointers from
Tess Bruffey and
Bailey Haist for a 6-0 lead, but would open the game 2-of-6 from the field. The LCU offense would then kick into gear with three straight successful field goals and closed the quarter 5-of-6 from the field for a 17-10 lead.
The Aggies, who had six of their opening 11 points come from the free-throw line, received a three-pointer from Monti Regier and two minutes into the second quarter, LCU's lead was cut to 20-14. LCU responded with a 12-0 run, which was part of an overall 20-1 scoring surge for a 40-15 lead with 2:07 left in the first half. The Lady Chaparrals closed the first half making eight of their final 10 shots (80%) for a 47-20 halftime lead.
LCU was 60.6% (20/33) from the field in the opening half, going 6-of-12 from long range (50%). Their defense held OPSU to one field goal inside the arc (1-of-15, 6.7%). The Aggies had 11 of their 20 points in the half from the field, with three of their four field goals from three-point range. They shot a low of 4-of-21 (19%) from the field in the half. LCU had a 20-6 scoring advantage in points off turnovers in the half.
LCU's starters averaged seven minutes of playing time in the second half. The closest the Aggies were able to get towards the LCU lead was 66-44 with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. LCU, who shot 18.2 % (2/11) in the fourth quarter, was able to go on a 10-0 run to build the lead to 76-44.
Bobbi Chitsey led all scorers with 14 points for LCU. She was one of three Lady Chaps to finish in double figures.
Allison Szabo, who had 11 points in the first half, completed a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She also contributed six assists.
Delaney Gaddis was 5-of-5 from the field and finished with 12 points. Gaddis added a team high three steals. Darby Price led OPSU with 11 points and added 10 rebounds to complete a double-double in the losing effort.
The Lady Chaps posted a 49.2% (29/59) shooting mark in the game, while holding OPSU to 29.4% (15/51) from the field.
ICING
Following LCU's victory over OPSU Thursday, Lubbock Christian University and Newman University agreed to postpone Saturday's scheduled Heartland Conference men's and women's basketball games due to Winter Storm Jupiter. They will be made up at 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 p.m. (men) on Monday, Jan. 30 in Wichita.
ON THEIR COURT
Tess Bruffey leads LCU in road play, with an average of 11.3 points a game.
Allison Szabo leads LCU in rebounds away from home with an average of 8.1 per road tilt. Szabo (13/16),
Bobbi Chitsey (14/16) and
Olivia Robertson (12/15) are a combined 83% (39/47) from the he free-throw line on the road, but the rest of the team combines for a 56.9% (37/65) from the line. An area hampering LCU on the road is turnovers (averaging 16.3 on the road, while forcing an average of 12.6) and points from the free-throw line (averaging 9.5 points from the line, compared to 13 by the opposition). LCU opened the season 0-4 on the road, but have since gone 3-1, with wins in their last two road games for a 3-5 road mark on the season.
EYEING 50 POINTS
LCU's defense has allowed an average of 50.4 points per game over the past five games and they have not allowed 50 points in the past three games. LCU has held teams under 50 points in six games this season. Last season, LCU held their opponents under 50 points in 11 games, but did not have their sixth game of holding opponents under 50 points until Jan. 21 (2016).
D-FENCE
LCU's defense ranks fourth nationally, holding the opposition to a 32.6% shooting mark, despite ranking 252nd nationally in three-point shooting defense (34.2%). LCU has allowed 104 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 31.7% shooting mark.
MILESTONES
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Allison Szabo is one block shy of 94 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.
- Szabo is also approaching 800 career points, needing 19 points to hit the plateau.
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Tess Bruffey is 52 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club in her LCU career.
BLOCKING THINGS OUT
LCU, who led NCAA in blocks last season, ranks fifth in the NCAA this season in blocks per game (5.8) and is sixth in total blocks (92).
Tess Bruffey ranks fifth nationally in blocks per game (3.4) and is sixth in total blocks (48).
Allison Szabo ranks 47th in blocks (26). Each block Bruffey garners adds to her career totals (212), which are program and Heartland Conference career records.
TURNING THINGS OVER
Turnovers have been a bugaboo for the Lady Chaps this season, but now the Lady Chaps are starting to take advantage of turnovers. On Dec. 31 at St. Mary's, LCU were out-scored 11-2 in points off turnovers, but in the four games that followed, the Lady Chaps outscored opponents 89-29 (an average of 22.3 - 7.3 per game for LCU).
SZA-BOOM
Over a seven-game stretch, beginning Dec. 10,
Allison Szabo has hit at least two three-pointers in four contests. She had only completed that task twice in her prior 95 career games with LCU before the current mark.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SEU
• The Hilltoppers, who went 12-17 last season (7-8 at home) are 10-6 this season, with a conference mark of 6-1. They are riding a four-game home win streak.
• The Heartland preseason picked SEU to finish fifth in the conference. Shakera Barnes made the Preseason All-Conference list and leads the Hilltoppers with an average of 14.4 points per game.
• SEU is coming off a 66-63 buzzer-beating loss at Arkansas Fort Smith. It ended their best win streak (eight games) since 1996-97 and gave the 'toppers their first conference loss. The 6-0 conference start was their best in Heartland Conference play in program history and they had not opened a conference schedule 6-0 since the 1997-98 season as a member of the Heart of Texas Conference.
• Since Lexi Fatheree's return from an injury (joined the squad on Dec. 8), SEU is 7-1 on the season. Fatheree is averaging 12.5 points per game this season.
• SEU ranks 18th nationally in fewest turnovers (198), with a per game rate of 12.4, which ranks eighth nationally.
THE SERIES AGAINST SEU
With seven straight Heartland Conference wins over SEU, LCU has the all-time series lead at 8-4. LCU won all three meetings last season (95-44 on Feb. 18, 2016 in their prior meeting in Austin), with their final meeting of the season serving as the Heartland Conference Tournament championship game (75-52 LCU win on Mar. 6, 2016 in Tulsa).
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. SEU
Mar. 6, 2016 (Tulsa, Okla.) - LCU: 75 - SEU: 52
Nicole Hampton, with her second double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds) of the Heartland Conference Tournament, and
Haley Fowler (17 points) combined for 35 points and led No.1 Lubbock Christian University to their Heartland Conference Tournament title and their second postseason tournament title in program history with a 75-52 win over sixth-seeded St. Edward's University Sunder afternoon in the Heartland Conference Tournament championship game at John Q. Hammons Arena (UMAC).
LCU led throughout and jumped out to the game's first lead with
Kelsey Hoppel connecting on a three-pointer. The Lady Chaps opened the game on a 13-4 run and Hoppel led LCU with 10 points in the opening quarter. She had two three-pointers in the quarter to set the program single season record for three-pointers with 75. LCU led 22-11 at the end of the first quarter.
St. Edwards, who was coming off consecutive wins for the first time since mid-January, had an opportunity to come back, as LCU went on a 4:52 stretch without a field goal and was 0-of-9 from the field during the scoring drought. A 4-0 run was all SEU could put together. Fowler, who ended the dry spell with a field goal with 6:07 left in the half, led LCU with eight points in the second quarter and LCU led 41-28 at the half.
The Hilltoppers opened the second half with the first four points to cut LCU's lead to 41-32, but the Lady Chaps responded with an 18-1 run for a 59-33 lead. Hampton had eight points during the quarter and LCU outscored the Hilltoppers 21-8 in the quarter for a 62-36 lead.
Reserves filled the floor in the fourth quarter and LCU received three-pointers from
Allea Harris,
Claire Bruffey and
Blair Taylor. The three by Taylor gave LCU their largest lead of the game (72-44 with 5:19 remaining).
The Lady Chaps outscored SEU 46-10 in the paint and 18-3 in points off turnovers (12-0 in the first half). Hampton claimed Tournament MVP Honors after finishing the game with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She averaged 15.3 points and nine rebounds in the tournament. Fowler's 17 points was a season high and it also placed her on the All-Tournament team with a 13-point average in the tournament. She finished with nine rebounds and a rebound shy of claiming her first double-double of the season. Bruffey finished the game with 12 points and had a tournament average of 13.7 points to also garner a spot on the All-Tournament team. Hoppel also finished with double figures with 10 points.
Shakera Barnes led SEU with 13 points. They also received 12 points from Lexi Fatheree and 10 points from Lubbock native Abby Hopper.
