ARKANSAS FORT SMITH (8-6, 3-1) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (6-7, 1-1)
Thursday, January 5, 2017 - 6:00 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
TV: Fox 34 News Now
All-Time Series: LCU leads 6-0
|
THE "GIRLS" ARE BACK IN TOWN
After 39 days since their last home game, the Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals are finally back home, hosting Arkansas Fort Smith (Thursday) and Rogers State (Saturday) for a pair of Heartland Conference contests this week. LCU has not played at home since Nov. 21 and went on an eight-game road trip (3-5 on the trip) covering four different states and one U.S. territory (Puerto Rico). They return home, where they are 3-0 on the season and are unbeaten in their last 27 home games (nation's active longest streak).
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Bailey Haist connected on a single-game program record eight three-pointers and her 26 points matched a career-high performance and led Lubbock Christian University to a 72-53 road victory over Texas A&M International Monday night at TAMIU's Kinesiology and Convocation Building for LCU's first Heartland Conference win of the season.
Haist topped her prior career mark of five three-pointers and the team's prior mark of seven three-pointers, which had been done four times and most recently by Hailey Burton on Nov. 14, 2014. She attempted 17 three-point attempts, which was one attempt off the team single-game record set by Burgundy Bass on Jan. 18, 1990. The three-point field goals mark is tied for the seventh most three-pointers made by an individual in NCAA Div. II this season and the 17 attempts ranks tied as the fifth most in a NCAA Div. II contest this season. In addition, the eight three-pointers ranked tied for the third most and the 17 attempts was the fourth most in the Heartland Conference record books.
Early on, it appeared that TAMIU was going to be breaking any three-point records. The Dustdevils opened the game with five three-pointers in the first quarter. Three-of their first four attempts were successful and helped them take a 9-3 lead in the opening three minutes of the game. TAMIU led as much as 32-25 (4:35 remaining in the second quarter) before LCU rallied back. LCU ended the half on a 12-2 run, with
Tess Bruffey recording seven of the points in the span. The run gave LCU a 37-34 halftime lead.
LCU never relinquished the lead once they took it late in the half. Haist's opening three-pointer to start a 14-2 Lady Chaps run. Haist hit five of her three-pointers in the second half and had 17 points in the half. LCU outscored TAMIU 19-8 in the third quarter and 35-19 in the second half.
Haist finished the game 8-of-17 from long range and 9-of-18 from the field. She was 5-of-8 in the second half from long distance. Overall, LCU was 12-of-33 from three-point range (the rest of the team combined 4-of-16 for 25%).
Along with outside shooting, LCU played with ball control. They limited themselves to 10 turnovers, which is the lowest since committing nine on Nov. 12 against Colorado State – Pueblo. LCU outscored TAMIU 17-0 in points off turnovers. LCU out-rebounded TAMIU 35-25 and used 10 offensive boards to have a 12-1 scoring advantage in second chance points. The Lady Chaps contributed 23 assists on 26 field goals in the game.
Bruffey joined Haist in double figures with 19 points. Bruffey also had a career high with seven assists. She produced three blocks, which moved her past
Kellyn Schneider (204) and Bruffey's 205 career blocks is a program career high.
TAMIU only suited six active players and Joanna Perez led the Dustdevils with 16 points. Hannah Beede contributed 13 points in the loss.
NOT STAYING SILENT
Monday in Laredo,
Bailey Haist registered a program record eight three-pointers and the performance came a game following an outing she went without a three-pointer. Haist has been held without a three-pointer in four games this season, and in three of the instances she had at least three three-pointers in the game which followed the games she was kept silent from long range. She averages 2.8 three-pointers in contests that follow a game she was withheld from a three-pointer.
HOME SWEET HOME
Tess Bruffey leads LCU at home, with an average of 16.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in home games played this season. Also averaging double figures at home this season is
Bobbi Chitsey, with a pace of 11.0 points per home game.
Bailey Haist is shooting 43.8% (7/16) from long range inside the Rip Griffin Center this season.
LENDING A HAND
Hannah Harbin ranks third in the Heartland Conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.44) and ranks fourth in assists (36) and assists per game (3.3). She has had more assists than turnovers in five of the last six games. Last week, Harbin averaged 8.5 rebounds in two contests, with a career high nine against St. Mary's and eight at Texas A&M International.
D-FENCE
LCU's defense ranks 13th nationally, holding the opposition to a 33.0% shooting mark, despite ranking 260th nationally in three-point shooting defense (35.0%). LCU has allowed 93 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 32.0% shooting mark.
MILESTONES
- With 19 points Saturday,
Tess Bruffey eclipsed 900 career points and enters the week with 902.
-
Tess Bruffey has hit the mark of 200 career blocks and is five blocks away from 205, which would move her into the top spot, past
Kellyn Schneider (204), as LCU's career blocks leader.
-
Allison Szabo is seven blocks shy of 93 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.
BLOCKING THINGS OUT
LCU, who led NCAA in blocks last season, ranks third in the NCAA this season in blocks per game (6.2) and is fifth in total blocks (81).
Tess Bruffey ranks third nationally in blocks per game (3.7) and is fourth in total blocks (41).
Allison Szabo ranks 38th in blocks (23). Bruffey had three blocks Monday, placing her with a career mark of 205 and moving her past
Kellyn Schneider (204) to become LCU's new career leader in the category.
NO THEFTS
Monday, LCU did not allow TAMIU to garner any steals in the game. No LCU opponent has completed a game without any steals since game-by-game opposing records have been kept on file since the 2008-2009 season. The stat is a huge positive for the Lady Chaps, who are trying to control their turnovers. LCU committed 10 turnovers Monday, which was a big improvement after committing an average of 20.1 turnovers a game the prior eight games.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT UAFS
• The Lions, who went 21-9 last season (9-5 on the road), are off to an 8-6 start on the season, with a conference mark of 3-1. They have won their prior two games and coming off a 78-35 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State.
• The Heartland preseason picked UAFS to finish second in the conference. They went 12-6 in conference play last season.
• Thursday's contest is LCU's second consecutive game against a head coach in their first season. Elena Lovato, a former Mississippi State assistant coach, is in her first season coaching the Lions and replaces Louis Wharton, who retired at the close of last season.
• The Lions will seek to take advantage of LCU's perimeter defense, as UAFS leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 23rd nationally with a three-point shooting mark of 38.5%.
• Tayla Taylor leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4) and ranks 15th nationally in the category, while also leading the conference in field goal shooting at 52.2%.
THE SERIES AGAINST UAFS
LCU has won all six all-time meetings and all meetings have been in Heartland Conference action. LCU is 3-0 all-time in Lubbock. The previous meeting in the series was Feb. 11, 2016, with LCU winning 82-54 in Lubbock.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. UAFS
Feb. 11, 2016 (Lubbock, Texas) - LCU: 82 - UAFS: 54
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.
