OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE (1-20, 0-13) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (14-10, 9-4)
Saturday, February 18, 2017 - 1:00 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 28-22
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THREE TO GO
Three regular season games remain for Lubbock Christian University and all three are at home and part of a four-game home stand. The Lady Chaps are jockeying for position for the Heartland Conference Tournament, which will take place in Tulsa, Okla. LCU enters Saturday's docket in third place in the conference with an 9-4 conference record (14-10 overall). St. Edward's (12-2) and St. Mary's (10-3) each set ahead of LCU in the standings. St. Edward's is the only one of the three LCU still has remaining on their schedule, but the Hilltoppers only have two games remaining and can eliminate LCU from regular season title contention with a win over Rogers State.
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Lubbock Christian University had to garner their first win of the season when trailing at half to push their nation-leading home win streak to 32 games, and they also used a double-double consisting of 30 points and 11 rebounds from
Tess Bruffey to defeat Newman University 60-55 in a Heartland Conference contest featuring 11 lead changes inside Rip Griffin Center Thursday evening.
LCU trailed most of the first half, but in the opening quarter each team had a share of the lead, with neither team leading by more than four points. Newman opened the game 1-of-6 from the field, but closed the quarter 6-of-8 from the field. Included in the mix was a steal and layup at the buzzer by Iva Krstevska, which not only put Newman up 15-14, but marked the first ever time LCU trailed at home at a quarter's conclusion since NCAA women's basketball adopted the four-quarter play at the start of the 2015-2016 season (96 consecutive quarters). Hannah Alexander opened the second quarter with a jumper for Newman to cap a 6-0 run and the Jets led 17-14. Bruffey answered with a three-pointer to tie the game at 17-17. Newman would score 12 of the next 16 points and took their largest lead of the game (29-21) with 2:45 remaining in the half. LCU rallied over the final 2:45 with a 7-0 run, which included a three-pointer from
Hannah Harbin to trail 29-28 at the half.
It was a battle between Bruffey and Newman's Mali Wright in the opening half. Wright was 7-of-13 from the field in the half for 14 points, while Bruffey had 16 points in the half (nine points from beyond the arc). LCU was 10-of-27 from the field (37%), with five three-point field goals and five buckets inside the arc. LCU was 50% (5/10) from three-point range, but 5-of-17 (29.4%) inside the arc. Bruffey struggled to a 2-of-9 shooting stretch inside the arc during the half (she was 3-for-4 in the half from long range).
LCU, entering the contest 0-10 when trailing at the half, built off their 7-0 run with a basket by Bruffey to close the run at 9-0. It gave LCU a 30-29 lead. The lead alternated until
Claire Bruffey drove in and converted a layup into a three-point play to put lCU up 35-33 with 3:26 left in the third quarter.
Claire Bruffey would end up hitting a three-pointer from the right corner later in the quarter and LCU took a 41-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
Bailey Haist nailed a trio of three-pointers in the game, with a pair coming in the fourth quarter. One was part of a 9-0 run, which had LCU leading 48-38 with 7:58 remaining. The Jets crawled back in and benefited off seven points in the quarter from Alexander and a 9-3 run to cut LCU's lead to 55-53 with 2:25 to go. Newman cut the LCU lead to 56-55 (54 seconds remaining), but LCU, who was a miserable 12-of-24 (50%) from the free-throw line, went 7-of-10 (70%) in the final quarter and scored five of them over the final 1:42 of the game to hold off the Jets in the closing moments. Newman was 0-of-2 from the field, with two turnovers over the final 2:58. Newman's final field goal came with 2:59 remaining and LCU's final field goal was tallied with 3:19 left.
Tess Bruffey's 30 points was a career high and marks the first 30-point performance by a Lady Chaps member since
Nicole Hampton had 31 points at Rogers State on Dec. 7, 2013. It was the most scored inside Rip Griffin Center by a Lady Chaps member since Kelsey Canavan scored 30 against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Feb. 25, 2012. Bruffey was 9-of-23 from the field (3-of-5 from three-point range) and the 23 shot attempts at home marks a new Rip Griffin Center record for field goal attempts. Her double-double was her eighth of the season.
LCU was 37.7% from the field (20/53) in the game, while Newman was 41.5% from the field. It marks the fifth time this season LCU has been outshot by the opposition and the first time in which LCU has won (1-4). LCU was 8-of-18 (44.4%) from long distance, with Bruffey and Haist each hitting a trio of treys. Newman connected on just one three-pointer (1-of-7, 14.3%) in the game. LCU out-rebounded Newman 36-33 and forced Newman into 17 rebounds (12 turnovers against LCU). Bruffey was LCU's only player in double figures, while Wright finished with 20 points and Alexander notched 10 points for Newman.
HOME ADVANTAGE
LCU has only played eight of their 24 games at home this season. They are 8-0 at home this season and 33-0 all-time in Heartland Conference home games. LCU holds the nation's longest home win streak at 32 games and have won 39 consecutive conference home games.
Tess Bruffey leads LCU at home this season with an average of 19.3 points per game. She also averages 9.4 rebounds 3.5 blocks at home. LCU is shooting 45.6% at home and holding opponents to a 30.5% shooting mark at home this season. LCU is averaging a 70.2 - 48.9 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 33.1% shooting mark, despite ranking 242nd nationally in three-point shooting defense (33.4%). LCU has allowed 148 three-pointers this season, but inside the arc, their defense has held opponents to a 32.9% shooting mark.
MILESTONES
Tess Bruffey heads into the Saturday's play five blocks shy 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 (5.7) and is third in total blocks (137).
Tess Bruffey ranks third nationally in blocks per game (3.7) and is third in total blocks (81). Each block Bruffey garners adds to her career totals (245), which are program and Heartland Conference career records.
PARTY LIKE ITS 2017
Tess Bruffey has posted at least 14 points in 11 of the 12 games LCU played in 2017. She averaged 17.7 points a game in January and is averaging 23.2 points a game in February. Bruffey is 13-of-19 (68.4%) 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 11.4 points per game and she is 55.9% from the field and 76.5% (13/17) from the free-throw line.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OPSU
• The Aggies, who went 2-24 last season (0-10 on the road) are 1-20 this season, with a conference mark of 0-13. They have dropped their prior 19 games and are coming off a 73-58 loss to Newman.
• The Heartland preseason picked OPSU to finish ninth in the conference. They went 1-17 in conference play last season.
• The contest is OPSU final Heartland Conference game in Lubbock, as OPSU announced this season as their final season in NCAA Div.II. The university made the decision to move to NAIA.
• The Aggies are led in scoring by Darby Price, who leads the team averaging 12.4 points a contest. She has had at least 10 points scored in nine of the past 10 Aggie contests.
• OPSU has lost their last 33 road games and have not recorded a win on the road since Dec. 13, 2014 at Northern New Mexico.
THE SERIES AGAINST OPSU
The two programs have met 46 times all-time and this marks the fourth time ever the two teams have met with LCU leading the all-time series (25-21). The Lady Chaps have won 18 of the last 20 meetings. LCU swept the season series the last three seasons and have won eight consecutive meetings.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. OPSU
Jan. 12, 2017 (Goodwell, Okla.) - LCU: 78 - OPSU: 48
Lubbock Christian University used a 30-point second quarter and rolled to a season high four-game win streak with a 78-48 Heartland Conference road victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State University Thursday evening at Oscar Williams Field House.
It was the defense that got LCU going early on in the contest. LCU held OPSU without a point for the first four minutes and held them without a field goal until 41 seconds remained in the opening quarter. LCU opened the game with three-pointers from
Tess Bruffey and
Bailey Haist for a 6-0 lead, but would open the game 2-of-6 from the field. The LCU offense would then kick into gear with three straight successful field goals and closed the quarter 5-of-6 from the field for a 17-10 lead.
The Aggies, who had six of their opening 11 points come from the free-throw line, received a three-pointer from Monti Regier and two minutes into the second quarter, LCU's lead was cut to 20-14. LCU responded with a 12-0 run, which was part of an overall 20-1 scoring surge for a 40-15 lead with 2:07 left in the first half. The Lady Chaparrals closed the first half making eight of their final 10 shots (80%) for a 47-20 halftime lead.
LCU was 60.6% (20/33) from the field in the opening half, going 6-of-12 from long range (50%). Their defense held OPSU to one field goal inside the arc (1-of-15, 6.7%). The Aggies had 11 of their 20 points in the half from the field, with three of their four field goals from three-point range. They shot a low of 4-of-21 (19%) from the field in the half. LCU had a 20-6 scoring advantage in points off turnovers in the half.
LCU's starters averaged seven minutes of playing time in the second half. The closest the Aggies were able to get towards the LCU lead was 66-44 with 7:52 left in the fourth quarter. LCU, who shot 18.2 % (2/11) in the fourth quarter, was able to go on a 10-0 run to build the lead to 76-44.
Bobbi Chitsey led all scorers with 14 points for LCU. She was one of three Lady Chaps to finish in double figures.
Allison Szabo, who had 11 points in the first half, completed a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. She also contributed six assists.
Delaney Gaddis was 5-of-5 from the field and finished with 12 points. Gaddis added a team high three steals. Darby Price led OPSU with 11 points and added 10 rebounds to complete a double-double in the losing effort.
The Lady Chaps posted a 49.2% (29/59) shooting mark in the game, while holding OPSU to 29.4% (15/51) from the field.
