NEWMAN (17-8, 7-6) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (13-10, 8-4)
Thursday, February 16, 2017 - 6:00 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
TV: Fox 34 News Now
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU 5-2
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HOME STRETCH
Lubbock Christian University returns home, where they will close the regular season with their final four games. The Lady Chaps are jockeying for position for the Heartland Conference Tournament, needing extreme help if they want a fourth consecutive season being atop the Heartland Conference standings. LCU enters the week in fourth place in the conference with an 8-4 conference record (13-10 overall). St. Edward's (11-2), St. Mary's (10-3) and Arkansas Fort Smith (9-4) all set ahead of LCU in the standings. St. Edward's is the only one of the three LCU still has remaining on their schedule. This week, LCU hosts Newman (Thursday) and Oklahoma Panhandle State (Saturday).
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
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.
ANOTHER WEEKLY HONOR FOR BRUFFEY
The Heartland Conference announced their weekly basketball honors and Lubbock Christian University's
Tess Bruffey has claimed Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for a second consecutive week. Bruffey, a Lubbock native and junior forward on the LCU squad, followed her National Player of the Week performance last week with equally stellar numbers this week with an average of 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 blocks on the week in which she was 57.6% (19/33) from the field and 75% (6/8) from three-point range. Her top performance was a career high 27-point performance at UA Fort Smith, which included 10 rebounds to complete a double-double. At Rogers State, the junior had 21 points, seven blocks and seven rebounds in just 28 minutes of play. Of her seven blocks at RSU, five came in the opening quarter of play. This is Bruffey's fourth Player of the Week honor this season.
FINALLY HOME
LCU has only played seven of their 23 games at home this season. They are 7-0 at home this season and 32-0 all-time in Heartland Conference home games. LCU holds the nation's longest home win streak at 31 games and have won 38 consecutive conference home games.
Tess Bruffey leads LCU at home this season with an average of 17.7 points per game. She also averages 9.1 rebounds 3.6 blocks at home. LCU is shooting 46.7% at home and holding opponents to a 29.0% shooting mark at home this season. LCU is averaging a 71.7 - 48.0 scoring advantage over their opponents at home this season.
RANKINGS ARE OUT
The NCAA released their first South Central Region regional rankings of the season Wednesday and St. Mary's was the only Heartland Conference team in the mix. The final regional rankings determine the eight-team regional field to open NCAA Div. II postseason play (following conference tournaments).
1 Colorado State-Pueblo
2 Eastern New Mexico
3 Angelo State
4 West Texas A&M
5 St. Mary's (Texas)
6 Texas A&M-Commerce
7 Regis (Colorado)
8 Colorado-Colorado Springs
9 Fort Lewis
10 Colorado Mesa
D-FENCE
LCU's defense ranks second nationally, holding the opposition to a 32.8% shooting mark, despite ranking 242nd nationally in three-point shooting defense (33.7%). LCU has allowed 147 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 32.3% shooting mark.
MILESTONES
Tess Bruffey heads into the week four rebounds shy of 500 and four blocks of 250 in her LCU career.
BLOCKING THINGS OUT
LCU, who led NCAA in blocks last season, ranks fourth in the NCAA this season in blocks per game (5.8) and is third in total blocks (133).
Tess Bruffey ranks third nationally in blocks per game (3.7) and is third in total blocks (78). Each block Bruffey garners adds to her career totals (246), which are program and Heartland Conference career records.
FOUL LANGUAGE
LCU ranks second in the conference and 14th nationally in committing the fewest amount of fouls. The Lady Chaps have been whistled for 14.6 fouls per game on the season, but despite the discipline play, their opponents have attempted 28 more free throws on the season. LCU has been whistled for 336 personal fouls this season, with an average of 16.8 on the road and 9.6 at home. LCU has averaged 2.4 more points than their opponents at the line at home this season (opponents average 2.4 more points per game from the line against LCU on the road).
PARTY LIKE ITS 2017
Tess Bruffey has posted at least 14 points in 10 of the 11 games LCU played in 2017. She averaged 17.7 points a game in January and is averaging 21.5 points a game in February. Bruffey is 10-of-14 (71.4%) from three-point range in February (she was 10-of-48, 20.8%, prior to the February stretch).
Hannah Harbin is having a hot February as well, averaging 12.5 points per game and she is 57.1% from the field and 76.5% (13/17) from the free-throw line.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NU
• The Jets, who went 12-15 last season (5-9 on the road) are 17-8 this season, with a conference mark of 7-6. They are riding a four game win streak, which began on Jan. 30 against LCU.
• The Heartland preseason picked Newman to finish tied for sixth in the conference. With a 7-6 Heartland record this season, the Jets are sitting alone in sixth place in the standings.
• NU comes to Lubbock following a 73-58 road win at Oklahoma Panhandle State on Feb. 11, which ended a three-game road losing skid. Newman led 25-4 after the opening quarter of the game and received 16 points in the game from Natalia Hausmann.
• The Jets are 4-4 this season in games decided by single digits, yet they lead the Heartland Conference in scoring margin (12.4), as they are 13-4 in games decided by at least 10 points.
• The combination of 251 steals (ranks 30th nationally) and 44% shooting from the field (30th nationally) has them ranking second in the conference in points per game (71.6).
THE SERIES AGAINST NU
The two programs have met seven times and all as Heartland Conference foes. LCU leads the all-time series 5-2. Newman ended a three-game series losing streak against with 61-60 win over LCU on Jan. 30 in Wichita. LCU is 3-0 all-time in Lubbock.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. NU
Jan. 30, 2017 (Wichita, Kan.) - LCU :60 - NU:61
Tess Bruffey's 25-point and 11-rebound double-double performance was not enough to help Lubbock Christian University overcome an 11-point second half deficit, as a late three-pointer by Newman's Natialia Hausmann helped the Jets claim a 61-60 win over LCU in a Monday night Heartland Conference contest at Fugate Gymnasium. The 25 points for Bruffey helped her eclipse 1,000 career points in her LCU career.
Bruffey, who had 12 points in the fourth quarter, had given LCU a 57-55 lead with a layup as 1:26 remained in the game, but they were unable to get a stop on the defensive end. Cierra Tjaden missed a three-point attempt for Newman, but Hannah Alexander was able to garner the offensive rebound and able to lay the ball up on a put-back to tie the game 57-57 with 1:03 remaining. It marked the seventh time in the contest the game was tied. LCU turned the ball over in the ensuing possession and Newman took advantage of it with Hausmann drilling a three-pointer just under 15 seconds remaining for a 60-57 Jets lead.
Caitlyn Cunyus, who has 2-for-3 in the game from long range leading into the game-tying attempt, missed everything on her attempt with three seconds left, but the game was not necessarily over at the shot's conclusion.
Hannah Harbin committed a foul on the inbounds and Mali Wright went to the line for Newman. She missed her first attempt, but made the second shot for a 61-57 lead. Bruffey was able to attempt a long distance shot and it was successful, but she was unable to draw a foul for a four-point play and LCU fell 61-60.
Newman thrived off free-throws in the game. The Jets, who average 20.6 attempts from the line per game on the season, went to the free-throw line 30 times in the game, which is the most by a Lady Chaps opponent since Colorado Colorado Springs had 31 attempts on Nov. 14, 2014. The Jets converted on 22 of the 30 attempts, which is the most since Oklahoma Panhandle State made 23 attempts on Jan. 28, 2016. Newman outscored LCU 22-11 from the line, with five different Jets attempting at least four shots.
In the opening quarter, LCU opened the game with a 7-1 lead and held Newman without a field goal for the opening four minutes of the game. Newman, held to two field goals in the opening quarter, was able to keep the deficit to a 15-13 deficit at the quarter's completion, with nine of their 13 points coming from the free-throw line.
LCU went a span of 6:11 without a field goal in the second quarter and a span of 9:39 in which they had one field goal. Meanwhile, the Jets took advantage of LCU scoring dry spell with a 13-1 run to take a 29-19 lead. NU would lead 31-24 at halftime.
In the third quarter, LCU trailed 42-32 with 4:41 left in the quarter before they started to rally back. Cunyus hit a three-pointer and LCU eventually trailed 46-39 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Chaps held the Jets without a field goal for a span of 6:13 and went on an 11-0 run, which was capped by a three-pointer from Bruffey for a 48-46 lead. LCU never led by more than two points in the fourth quarter and they were 0-for-5 from the field on possessions in which they were seeking to increase a two-point lead (7-of-10 outside of those five attempts in the fourth quarter).
LCU out-shot Newman in the game, with a 38.9% shooting mark (21/54) topping a 30.9% (17/55) mark by Newman. Bruffey was LCU's lone player in double figures. Her 25 points was one point shy of her career high. Her three three-pointers matched a career high. The double-double was her fifth of the season and she has hit the feat in consecutive games. Newman had four players in double figures. Wright led the Jets with 14 points and was joined by Bria DeGrate's 13 points, Hausmann's 11 points and Tjaden's double-double, which included 14 rebounds and 10 points.
