FORT SMITH, Ark. (February 11, 2017) – Tess Bruffey posted a career high 27 points, but it came in a losing cause, as Lubbock Christian University fell to Arkansas Fort Smith 69-65 inside Stubblefield Center Saturday in Heartland Conference action. The loss was LCU's first ever loss to UAFS and the game was LCU's final regular season road game.
 
LCU had a promising start, opening the game on an 8-0 run, with Olivia Robertson and Bailey Haist connecting from long range during the run. UAFS responded with a 9-0 run and scored 21 of the game's next 25 points. LCU missed their final four shot attempts in the first quarter and committed turnovers on three consecutive possessions, as they found themselves trailing 19-12 at the end of the quarter. The runs continued for UAFS in the second quarter, and a 12-2 run provided the Lady Lions with a 33-16 lead with 6:04 left in the quarter. The Lady Lions eventually built the lead to 41-22 before LCU closed the half on a 7-0 run and UAFS led 41-29 at the break.
 
UAFS shot 60% (9/15) in the second quarter, with a 4-of-7 shooting mark from long range. Olivia Hanson led UAFS with 12 points in the first half, with a 4-of-6 shooting performance from three-point range. The Lady Lions produced 14 more shot attempts than LCU, taking advantage of seven offensive rebounds and 10 LCU turnovers. Bruffey led LCU with 12 points, but she had no offensive assistance, as the rest of the Lady Chaps squad was a combined 4-of-14 from the field (28.6%) in the half.
 
Sydney Franklin hit a three-pointer for UAFS 1:42 into the second half to give UAFS a 45-31 lead before LCU responded with a 10-2 run spearheaded by Olivia Robertson and Delaney Gaddis, who each had five points in the third quarter. LCU was held to one field goal over the final three minutes of the quarter. UAFS led 56-46 after three quarters and led 60-49 when the scoreboard was locked for four minutes without any scoring. Hannah Harbin ended the game's dry spell with a Lady Chaps field goal with 4:31 remaining. LCU was able to cut the deficit to a possession difference, but UAFS had an answer and mostly from the free-throw line, where they closed the game 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the final minutes after missing five of seven free-throw attempts to start the quarter.
 
LCU lost their sixth game in which they out-shot their opponent. The Lady Chaps were 46.2% (24/52) from the field, while UAFS was 37.3% (25/67) from the field. LCU was 61% inside the arc (19-of-31), but 23.8% (5-of-21) outside the arc. LCU was plagued by 18 turnovers and 20 UAFS offensive rebounds.
 
Bruffey finished 11-of-17 from the field for her career high 27 points, which included 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. She also produced six blocks and matched a career high with a trio of three-pointers. Robertson joined Bruffey in double figures with 14 points.
 
UAFS was 9-of-20 (45%) from three-point range in the game, and Hanson had four of the treys to finish with a team-leading 14 points. Tayla Taylor (13 points) and Zhanesha Dickerson (12 points) joined Hanson in double figures.
 
LCU falls to 13-10 overall and they are 8-4 in conference play, UAFS moved to 14-10 overall and 9-4 in conference. The Lady Chaps close the regular season 5-8 in road games on the season.
 
TURNING POINT
A 7-1 scoring run proved to be beneficial for UAFS late in the third quarter. LCU had cut the deficit to 49-43 with 3:45 left in the quarter before UAFS went on a quick 7-1 run capped by a Franklin three-pointer to put UAFS up 12 (56-44) late in the third quarter. The Lady Chaps would trail by 14 (60-46) with 8:40 remaining and the four minute dry spell of no scoring hurt LCU, who ran out of time.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU struggled from the three-point line in the second half, going 2-of-11 beyond the arc. Bruffey (3-of-4) and Robertson (1-of-3) combined to go 4-of-7 from long range, while the rest of the team was a combined 1-of-14. LCU made their first two shot attempts from beyond the arc, but then went 3-of-19 the rest of the way (15.8%).
 
NEXT
LCU plays their final four games at home, beginning with a 6 p.m. tip Thursday against Newman inside Rip Griffin Center.