LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (9-8, 4-2) at OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (9-10, 4-3)
Saturday, January 21, 2017 - 1:00 p.m.                                    
Eagles' Nest (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Radio: Online Only   
All-Time Series: OC leads 29-21
Tweet #LCUvsOC | Tweet #HeartlandWB
 
GRAB A SNICKERS
Lubbock Christian University is very familiar with conference schedules on the road and playing two games in a three-day span and playing on Thursday and Saturdays, but this season's version has a twist. St. Edward's, which is where LCU played Thursday, has Oklahoma Christian University as a "travel partner," so Friday was an authentic "travel day" with LCU making the six hour bus ride (with no holdups on I-35) from Austin to Oklahoma City. It is the longest trek LCU has ever made between conference opponents under the format dating back to when they were Sooner Athletic Conference members. LCU, coming off a loss Thursday at St. Edward's, looks to rebound from having their season-long four-game win streak snapped on Saturday facing Oklahoma Christian at 1 p.m. The Lady Chaps enter Saturday in fourth place in the Heartland Conference standings. LCU, who has played 12 of their 17 games on the season away from home (four of their six conference games have been on the road thus far), is 9-8 overall and they are 4-2 in Heartland Conference play. 
 
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Allison Szabo's double-double (16 rebounds, 13 points) and Tess Bruffey's game high 19 points helped Lubbock Christian University rally from a 12-point second half deficit, but a scoring woe late in the contest allowed St. Edward's to march past the Lady Chaparrals 58-50 Thursday night in Heartland Conference action inside Recreation and Convocation Center.
 
Trailing 38-27 with 3:55 left in the third quarter, LCU went on a 16-2 run and took a 43-40 lead with 7:22 remaining. Ten of the 16 points during the run were tacked on by Bruffey. The tide would shift back towards SEU, as the Hilltoppers responded with a 9-0 run to regain the lead at 49-43 with 4:17 remaining. Bailey Haist connected on a rare LCU three-pointer in the contest to get within 49-46, but free-throws helped SEU surge to a 56-46 lead with 52 seconds remaining. Overall, SEU's run was a 16-3 run (seven points from the free-throw line) to capitalize on the victory.
 
LCU went the final 2:58 without a field goal and closed the game 1-of-10 from the field (Haist's three-pointer was the only field goal during the stretch). SEU scored their final five points and seven of their last nine points from the free-throw line. The Hilltoppers, entering the fourth quarter 5-of-13 (38.5%) from the free-throw line, went 9-of-12 in the fourth quarter from the line.
 
The game featured six lead changes, with four occurring during the opening quarter. Lexi Cunningham's three-pointer for SEU in the final seconds of the quarter capped a 6-1 run gave SEU an 18-12 advantage at the end of the quarter. LCU trailed as much as 30-19 in the first half, but Bruffey's eight points in the half helped keep the game in reach with LCU trailing 30-21 at the break.
 
LCU trailed 33-21 in the second half before eventually chipping away at SEU's lead. The Lady Chaps benefitted off five straight points from the line to begin their 16-2 run. LCU trailed 40-36 at the close of the third quarter, which occurred during the run.
 
Both teams shot less than 40% from the field (SEU – 38.2%, LCU – 32.6%) and shot 16.7% from three-point range. LCU had a 39-30 rebound advantage, but had 17 turnovers compared to seven by SEU. Shakera Barnes led SEU with 17 points. They also received 14 points from Lubbock native Abby Hopper and 12 points from Lexi Fatheree.  Bruffey and Szabo had the only double-figure point productions for LCU, who only received field goals from four different players. Szabo's 16 rebounds were a career high and the double-double was her fifth of the season.
 
ON THEIR COURT
Tess Bruffey leads LCU in road play, with an average of 12.3 points a game. Allison Szabo leads LCU in rebounds away from home with an average of 9.0 per road tilt. Szabo (18/22), Bobbi Chitsey (14/16) and Olivia Robertson (14/17) are a combined 83.6% (46/55) from the he free-throw line on the road, but the rest of the team combines for a 58.8% (47/80) from the line. An area hampering LCU on the road is turnovers (averaging 16.3 on the road, while forcing an average of 12.0) and points from the free-throw line (averaging 10.3 points from the line, compared to 13.1 by the opposition). LCU opened the season 0-4 on the road, but have since gone 3-2 for a 3-6 road mark on the season.
 
EYING 50 POINTS
LCU's defense has allowed an average of 51.6 points per game over the past six games and they have not allowed over 50 points in three of past four 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 32.9% shooting mark, despite ranking 252nd nationally in three-point shooting defense (33.8%). LCU has allowed 106 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 32.5% shooting mark. 
 
MILESTONES
- 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 six points to hit the plateau.
- Tess Bruffey is 33 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 (5.5) and is sixth in total blocks (94). Tess Bruffey ranks fifth nationally in blocks per game (3.3) and is sixth in total blocks (50). 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.
 
SZA-BOOM
Over a eight-game stretch, beginning Dec. 10, Allison Szabo has hit at least two three-pointers in five 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 OC
• The Lady Eagles, who went 14-15 last season (9-4 at home) are off to a 9-10 record this season, with a 4-3 record in conference play. 
• The Heartland preseason picked OC to finish third in the conference. They went 12-6 in conference play last season. Sarah Parker and McKenzie Stanford received Preseason All-Conference accolades
• McKenzie Stanford is coming off Heartland Conference Player of the Week accolades after 31 points and 18 rebounds in an 89-84 road loss at Arkansas Fort Smith. She has claimed the honor twice this season.
• OC leads the nation in free-throws made (323) and is second in free-throw attempts (439). McKenzie Stanford ranks seventh nationally in attempts (122) and has converted on 77 of them (25th nationally).
• Stanford leads the nation in field goal attempts with 308 on the season, which is an astonishing rate of 16.2 shot attempts per game.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST OC
OC leads the all-time series 29-21 dating back to 1979. Despite trailing the all-time series, LCU has won 17 of the last 20 meetings. The Lady Chaps have won the prior 10 meetings, with OC's last win coming on Feb. 17, 2011. LCU has scored at least 100 points in three of the prior seven encounters. Both teams are former Sooner Athletic Conference foes.
 
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. OC
Feb. 4, 2016 (Oklahoma City, Okla.) - LCU :87 - OC:59
Nicole Hampton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for her 36th career double-double and No.1 Lubbock Christian University garnered an  87-59 road win at Oklahoma Christian University inside The Eagles' Nest.
 
LCU never trailed in the contest and due in part to a fast offensive start for Hampton. She recorded 11 points in the opening quarter and helped LCU lead 21-16 in the opening quarter of play. OC opened the second quarter on a 5-0 run to tie the game 21-21, but LCU combated the Lady Eagles run with a three-pointer by Blair Taylor and a field goal by Hampton for a 5-0 run of their own. The run was extended with a trio of field goals by Tess Bruffey and developed into a 16-2 run for a 37-23 lead with 5:06 to go in the half. LCU opened the game 5-of-8 from three-point range to help pull away in the first half. They closed the half on a 5-0 run to lead 46-30 at the half.
 
Hampton nearly completed a double-double in the opening half, as she had 15 points and nine rebounds in the first half.  She also had five assists and was on pace for a triple-double. Hampton was able to climb the LCU all-time career scoring charts, as she surpassed Darla Lynch (1,529 points from 1979-1983) and moved into fifth all-time in career scoring.
 
The Lady Chaps were 54.3% (19/35) from the field in the first half and the shooting success carried over into the second half. Kellyn Schneider opened the second half with an old-fashioned three-point play and it helped the Lady Chaps to a 10-2 run to open the half for a 56-32 lead. They led as much as 29 points (71-42) in the third quarter.  OC cut LCU's lead to 71-49 in the third quarter, but LCU took any wind remaining in the Lady Eagles sails with a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter via a pair of field goals from Tess Bruffey and a three-pointer by Kelsey Hoppel.
 
LCU was 57.7% (15/26) from the field in the second half and finished the game 55.7% (34/61) from the field. The Lady Chaps dressed 14 players and 11 of them had a field goal in the game (eight of nine players that touched the floor in the opening half produced at least one field goal). Hampton led LCU with 19 points and the Lady Chaps also received 14 points from Hoppel and 13 points from Bruffey, who also finished with six rebounds, three blocks and a career-high five assists. Hampton was four assists shy (6) of a triple-double.
 
OC, who was 32.8% (22/67) from the field, received 22 points from McKenzie Stanford and 18 points from Sarah Parker. The Lady Eagles, falling to 10-12 overall and 7-5 in conference, was held to 4-of-19 (21.1%) from three-point range.