LUBBOCK, Texas (February 25, 2017) - The Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals overcame a 10-point third quarter deficit and received 30 points from Tess Bruffey to defeat St. Edward's 84-80 in overtime Saturday afternoon in Heartland Conference action inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU, matching a season-high with four consecutive wins, finished the regular season tied for second place with St. Mary's, as they finished with a 12-4 conference mark (17-10 overall) and a win back of St. Edward's (13-3). The Lady Chaps will head to Tulsa, Okla. as a No.3-seed in the Heartland Conference Tournament and will open play Friday at noon facing Newman.
 
The game featured nine lead changes and the scored tied on 14 occasions. With 16 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied 66-66, SEU's Bailey Hill put up a shot out of the left wing baseline that hit the backside of the backboard and LCU received the possession. They called a timeout, but on the ensuing inbounds, Hannah Harbin was unable to get the ball inbounded before a five-second violation was called, giving SEU back the ball.  LCU, with only two team fouls, was able to continually foul Shakera Barnes on inbounds plays and SEU was unable to get the best shot off at the horn, although Barnes was nearly able to get a long heave beyond the top of the key to go.
 
Bailey Haist had seven points for LCU in the overtime frame. She made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds lft to put LCU up 82-80. Khiani Clark missed a layup with under 15 seconds remaining, but SEU got the offensive board and they relied on a Hill three-pointer for the lead. The attempt was no good. LCU advanced the ball with a timeout and Olivia Robertson was fouled. She made both of her attempts for a 84-80 lead and it turned out to be the final score.
 
The game opened with a see-saw of runs and streaky play. Each team had three runs of runs consisting of at least a 4-0 scoring span involved in the opening half. LCU, who trailed 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, had just traded off a 6-0 run with SEU and went on a 9-0 run to take a 24-19 lead with 3:57 remaining in the second quarter. It was SEU's turn to respond, which they did with a 7-0 run to take a 26-24 lead with 1:33 remaining. They eventually led 29-26 at the half after Lexi Fatheree nailed a three-pointer just prior to the buzzer.
 
Bruffey led LCU with 14 points in the half and was 5-of-7 from the field. She was carrying most of the offensive workload for LCU in the first half, with Bobbi Chitsey also assisting. The two were a combined 7-of-11 from the field (63.6%), while the remainder of the Lady Chaps were a combined 2-of-13 (15.4%).
 
Fatheree, who hit two three-pointers in the final 1:33 of the first half, connected on her third three-pointer of the game with 6:42 left in the third quarter and it capped a 12-3 run to give SEU a 41-31 lead and their largest lead of the game. Over the ensuing 6:17, LCU would gradually outscore the Hilltoppers 21-11 to tie the game at 52-52 in the third quarter. LCU went 4-for-4 on three-point attempts during the run, with Haist, Chitsey, Bruffey and Caitlyn Cunyus all contributing on the trifectas.
 
Following the score tied at 52-52, LCU went on a 6-0 run, which had them up 54-52 at the close of the fourth quarter and capped with LCU leading 58-52 50-seconds into the fourth quarter. The 6-0 run was part of a 27-11 scoring surge for LCU, which also included a 16-4 scoring clip for LCU.
 
LCU led as much as 60-54 with 7:30 remaining, but SEU came back with the play of Shakera Barnes, who tallied three of her eight field goals in the final 5:35 of the fourth quarter. A 6-0 run by SEU tied the game at 60-60 before the teams countered scoring for the remaining 5:35 to force overtime.
 
Bruffey matched a career high with her second 30-point contest of the season and of the homestand. She was 10-of-14 (71.4%) from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range. She was joined in double figures by Haist (18 points) and Chitsey (17 points). Haist was 6-of-9 from the field with a career high eight rebounds and matched a career high with four assists. LCU incredibly finished the game shooting 51% (26/51) from the field. They were 14-of-24 (58.3%) in the second half and went 3-of-3 from the field in overtime. LCU was 11-of-14 from the free-throw line in overtime and 1-of-1 from three-point range in the extra frame.
 
SEU, who fell to 17-8 overall, was 38.8% (26/67) from the field, but benefited off a 21-for-21 shooting mark from the free-throw line, which was a single-game record by an LCU opponent. It marks the second time ever a Heartland Conference squad has been perfect from the line with at least 20 attempts. The conference record is 26-of-26 set by Oklahoma Christian (against Texas A&M International (Dec. 31, 2015). Clark led SEU with 20 points. Fatheree and Hill finished with 19 points and Barnes added 18 points to place the Hilltoppers with four players in double figures.
 
The overtime contest was LCU's first overtime tilt since defeating Fort Lewis College in Lubbock 82-76 on Nov. 21, 2015. LCU has now defeated SEU twice in overtime in their all-time history. The Lady Chaps previously defeated SEU in overtime (81-75) in Austin on Jan. 16, 2014.
 
LCU closed their home schedule with an 11-0 mark. They improved their nation-leading home win streak to 35 games, while also winning their 42^nd consecutive conference home game and improving to 36-0 all-time at home in Heartland Conference play. The Chaps close the regular season with a 17-10 record. LCU went 12-3 over their final 15 regular season games (since Jan. 2, 2017), playing their final nine games without senior Allison Szabo, who was second on the squad in scoring and co-leading the team in rebounds at the time of her season-ending injury.
 
TURNING POINT
Crucial to LCU's victory was their bounce-back from a 41-31 deficit in the third quarter. They responded from the deficit making eight of their next 11 shot attempts, including four straight three pointers. In the 11-shot span, LCU was 4-of-5 inside the arc. The final field goal of the 11 shot attempts was a Haist layup to put LCU up 58-52 with 8:47 left in the fourth quarter.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Saturday was Senior Day and the final Rip Griffin Center appearance for five Lady Chaps seniors (four that were active to play, as Szabo was injured). Claire Bruffey, Allea Harris, Haist and Harbin played in their final game inside Rip Griffin Center. A remarkable senior class for their accomplishments with the Lady Chaps. Harbin and Szabo were the only members that spent all four seasons with the Lady Chaps and they produced a 51-2 home record over their four seasons, going 36-0 at home in conference play. All five players are have received academic accolades and all five members were part of LCU's 2016-2017 NCAA Division II National Championship squad.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU will now focus on the Heartland Conference Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., where they will need to win-out, going 3-0, if they want to advance to the NCAA postseason. LCU, 3-0 all-time in Tulsa at the conference tournament, will open tourney play Friday at noon facing Newman inside Union Multipurpose Activity Center (UMAC).