No.23 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (2-0) at TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE (1-1)
Monday, November 13 - 5:30 PM
TAMUC Field House (Commerce, Texas)
Radio: KJTV 100.7 "The Score"
All-Time Series: TAMUC leads 2-0
COMPLETING THE COMMERCE STAY
No.23 Lubbock Christian University wraps up their opening road trip of the season, and road stay in Commerce, Texas, as they face Texas A&M-Commerce Monday at 5:30 p.m. LCU is 2-0 after a pair of neutral site wins in Commerce over Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) squads No.5 Colorado State-Pueblo and Metropolitan State of Denver, and Monday's tilt marks LCU's first true road game of the season. LCU will return home after the contest to host the Arbor Hotels Classic beginning Friday hosting Western New Mexico.
SATURDAY SUMMARY
Tess Bruffey produced a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) and the Lady Chaparrals knocked down 10 three-pointers, as No.23 Lubbock Christian University improved to 2-0 on the season with a 71-53 win over Metropolitan State University of Denver Saturday evening at 1525 Tournament hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce inside University Field House.
Bruffey, coming off a foul-plagued six-point performance Friday, opened her scoring early, leading LCU with seven points in the first quarter. Teams traded buckets to tie the game 5-5 before LCU erupted with a 10-2 run, with four different players contributing to the run for LCU. LCU led 15-9 after the opening quarter. Both squads shot over 53% in the second quarter. LCU extended their lead to 31-18 on a three-pointer by
Olivia Robertson with 3:45 left in the half, but MSU Denver came back with an 8-0 run to cut the LCU lead to 31-26 before the break.
The Lady Chaps, leading 33-26 at the half, opened the contest 6-of-8 from three-point range and completed the half 6-of-10 from long range. Four different players were involved in the long distance connections, with Bruffey and
Kailin Davis each connecting twice in the half.
Jaelynn Squires-Horton made things interesting, hitting a three-pointer a minute into the third quarter for MSU Denver. The bucket capped a 5-0 run for the Roadrunners and cut LCU's lead to 37-32. LCU's
Delaney Gaddis ended the threat with a three-pointer of her own and LCU quickly got the lead back to double figures (42-32 with 4:47 to go in the third quarter). Later in the quarter, LCU fought off another MSU Denver rally with an 8-2 run paced by six free-throws to lead 55-42 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Chaps, who never trailed in the game, never led by less than 12 points in the final quarter and shot 50% from the field (6/12).
Bruffey led all scorers with her 20 points and she was joined in double figures by Davis (14 points) and Robertson (11 points). LCU completed the game 10-of-18 (55.6%) from three-point range. Six different Lady Chap hit three-pointers, led by a career high four three-pointers from Bruffey.
Georgia Ohrdorf led the Roadrunners with 14 points. MSU Denver (0-2) was 39.2% (20/51) from the field and 3-of-10 (30%) from long range.
CHAP DEBUTS
Four Lady Chaps made their LCU debuts Saturday in the final moments of action.
Ashton Duncan,
Juliana Robertson,
Taylor Stevenson and
Madelyn Turner each stepped on the floor for their firs minutes of action in their LCU and college career.
Emma Middleton and
Abby Morris are the only Lady Chaps that are continuing to see their first action of the season.
10 TREYS
Saturday, LCU went 10-for-18 (55.6%) from three-point range. The performance marked the first time this season LCU connected on at least 10 three-pointers. Last season, LCU completed the task eight times during the season, but only once over the span of the opening 12 games of the season.
ROADIES
Monday marks LCU's first road game of the season. LCU went 5-8 in road games last season, opening the season 0-4 in road contests.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TAMUC
• TAMUC follows a 20-9 season a year ago, going 14-6 in the Lone Star Conference to finish fourth in the conference.
• The Lone Star Conference preseason picked the Lions fifth in the conference and they received six first place votes.
• The Lions opened the 2017-18 campaign at home for the first time since the 2012-13 season, and are 1-1 through two games. They are coming off a 55-52 loss to No.5 Colorado State – Pueblo, despite having a 26-4 lead in the second quarter.
• In 86 games (prior to this season), Lions head coach Jason Burton became the fastest coach in program history to 50 wins. Burton has the highest winning percentage of any coach in program history.
• Brianna Wise leads the Lions averaging 15.5 points on the season. She has three of the team's four three-pointers, as they are shooting 11.8% (4/34) from long range on the season.
THE SERIES AGAINST TAMUC
TAMUC has a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series and the two teams have not met since a 68-63 Lions win on Nov. 15, 2005 in Commerce. The first ever meeting was on Jan. 29, 1982 when TAMUC was known as East Texas State, who defeated Lubbock Christian 73- 66.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. TAMUC
Nov. 15, 2005 (Commerce, Texas) - TAMUC: 68 - LCU:63
Katedria Mosley scored 19 points, helping Texas A&M-Commerce rally to beat Lubbock Christian University 68-63 after blowing a big lead inside University Field House. LCU fell behind 13-0 early and 30-16 at halftime, but surged ahead in the second half. The Lady Chaparrals led 51-46 (with 6:44 left) on a three-point field goal by Ashley Hunter, who finished with a team-leading 16 points, and by 53-48 on a Candace Clenney layup with 5:47 left.
