LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (12-9, 7-3) at ROGERS STATE (7-15, 3-9)
Thursday, February 9, 2017 - 5:30 p.m.
Claremore Expo Center (Claremore, Okla.)
Live Scoring / Online Video: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/rsu
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Radio: KJTV AM950/100.7FM
All-Time Series: LCU leads 15-5
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ONE MORE TIME
Lubbock Christian University hits the road again, but rumor has it their trip to Claremore, Okla. (Thursday to face Rogers State) and Fort Smith, Ark. (Saturday to face Arkansas Fort Smith) marks their final regular season road trip. LCU (4-7 in true road games) has played 14 of their 21 games away from home this season. After their current two-game road trip, LCU will play their final four games at home. LCU enters the trip 12-9 on the season and in third place in the Heartland Conference with a 7-3 conference record. They sit a game behind St. Mary's and two games behind St. Edward's, with six conference games remaining.
LOOKING BACK AT THEIR LAST CONTEST
Tess Bruffey notched the third triple-double in program history and her 21-point and 13-rebound performance included a program and Heartland Conference single-game record 10 blocks to lead Lubbock Christian University to a 70-56 home victory over St. Mary's University Saturday afternoon. The 10 blocks marks the third time Bruffey has produced the feat (no other player has in program and conference history), but the first time she has done it inside Rip Griffin Center, which sets the arena record.
Bruffey became the only player this season in Division II basketball with two 10-block games. The 10 blocks in a game is a program and a Heartland Conference record, and it is the third time she has reached the feat in her career. The last was on Nov. 26, 2016 in Puerto Rico against Lenoir-Rhyne.
As for the triple-double, it is her first of her career and the third one recorded in program history.
Nicole Hampton achieved the prior two, with the prior completion coming Jan. 25, 2014 at Oklahoma Panhandle State. Bruffey's accomplishment Saturday marked the first triple-double inside Rip Griffin Center. In addition, her triple-double marks the 12th one accomplished in NCAA Division II play this season.
LCU outscored StMU by seven points in three of the four quarters Saturday, never trailing in the game. The Lady Chaps balanced out the outside shooting in the opening quarter, with
Bailey Haist,
Claire Bruffey,
Hannah Harbin and
Tess Bruffey combining to go 4-for-6 from three-point range in the quarter. Tess led LCU with seven points in the quarter, with her three-pointer in the quarter coming in a 6-0 run to take a 20-11 lead in the final 10 seconds of the quarter. StMU's Arysia Porter hit a jumper to close the quarter with LCU leading 20-13.
StMU cut LCU's lead to 24-23 on a LaBraile Fields jumper with 5:08 left in the half, but LCU responded with a 15-2 run to close the half. Harbin highlighted the run with a pair of three-pointers and had 13 points in the first half to give LCU a 39-25 halftime lead.
The run would be carried over to the second half to a 17-2 run (in total), with Bruffey scoring in the paint for a 41-25 LCU lead. An 8-0 run by the Rattlers allowed them to rush back into the game, and back-to-back three-pointers by Kiara Etheridge allowed the Rattlers to cut LCU's lead to 49-45 late in the third quarter.
Olivia Robertson prevented StMU from ending the quarter with momentum, as she nailed a three-pointer inside the final minute to give LCU a 52-45 lead to take into the fourth quarter.
Sierra Dixon opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to get within four points, but again LCU had a response. The Lady Chaps responded with a Haist three-pointer and went on a 9-2 run. The "2" during the run for StMU was a layup from Porter with 7:43 remaining and the Rattlers final field goal of the game.
Bruffey had eight points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with a game high 21 points to lead all players. She was 8-of-17 from the field and racked up 13 rebounds as well. Harbin also finished in double figures as well with 16 points. She was 3-of-3 from three-point range (three three-pointers was a career high). LCU, coming off Thursday's program-record-matching three-point shooting barrage, had 11 three-pointers Saturday and went 11-of-23 (47.8%) from downtown. Overall, LCU was 47.2% (25/53) from the field and outscored StMU 20-8 in the paint and 23-17 off turnovers. StMU was 2-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter and finished 35.1% (20/57) from the field. They were 11-of-36 (30.5%) inside the arc and 9-of-21 (42.9%) beyond the arc. Porter led the Rattlers with 20 points and eight rebounds. They also received 16 points from Fields and 13 from Etheridge.
NATIONALLY KNOWN
The United State Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced Lubbock Christian University's
Tess Bruffey has been named this week's recipient of the Women's Division II National Player of the Week for the week ending February 5.
Bruffey, a 6-4 junior forward, was named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week after averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game, which included notching the program's third triple-double, as the Lady Chaps posted a 2-1 record.
Her triple-double came against previous conference leader St. Mary's, as she posted 21 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks in the 70-56 victory Saturday. The 10 blocks matched a program and Heartland Conference single-game record (conference record which Bruffey owns).
The Lubbock, Texas native opened the week with 25 points and 11 rebounds despite a 61-60 road loss at Newman. Bruffey followed with 17 points in an 84-49 win at Texas A&M International in the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase game before a nationally televised audience.
This is Bruffey's first USBWA national weekly honor and the program's second. Last season,
Nicole Hampton claimed the honor for the week ending Feb 14, 2016.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
LCU has not completed a road trip this season in which they swept each game of the conference two-game trip.
Tess Bruffey leads LCU on the road averaging 13.7 points per road game. LCU is 4-7 on the road and five of the seven losses have been by 10 points or less.
Bobbi Chitsey (84.2%) and
Olivia Robertson (88.0%) are a combined 38 of 44 (86.4%) from the line on the road.
DELA-GATING
Delaney Gaddis has only one field goal in her last five games, but the junior guard, that has moved into the starting lineup has been a playmaker in other areas. Gaddis has 13 assists compared to three turnovers (4.3 assist/turnover ratio) in the past two games and is coming off a career high eight assists Saturday.
D-FENCE
LCU's defense ranks third nationally, holding the opposition to a 33.0% shooting mark, despite ranking 251st nationally in three-point shooting defense (34.3%). LCU has allowed 138 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 21 rebounds shy of 500 in her LCU career. She is also seven blocks shy of 72 blocks, which would mark as the fifth best single-season mark for blocks and give her a spot in the top-5 for single season blocks for a third time, marking each season she has been with the Lady Chaps.
BLOCKING THINGS OUT
LCU, who led NCAA in blocks last season, ranks sixth in the NCAA this season in blocks per game (5.7) and is eighth in total blocks (119).
Tess Bruffey ranks fourth nationally in blocks per game (3.4) and is seventh in total blocks (65). Each block Bruffey garners adds to her career totals (229), which are program and Heartland Conference career records.
FOUL LANGUAGE
LCU ranks second in the conference and 13th nationally in committing the fewest amount of fouls. The Lady Chaps have been whistled for 306 fouls on the season, but despite the discipline play, their opponents have attempted 30 more free throws on the season. On the road, LCU has been whistled for 23 more fouls than their opponents and it has led to 52 additional free throws for the home team (Opponents average four more points from the line when LCU plays on the road).
PARTY LIKE ITS 2017
Tess Bruffey has posted at least 14 points in eight of the nine games LCU played in 2017. She averaged 17.7 points a game in January and is averaging 19 points a game in February.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RSU
• The Hillcats, who went 14-12 last season (9-4 at home), are 7-15 on the season, with a conference mark of 3-9. They are 2-2 in their last four games and 5-7 at home.
• The Heartland preseason picked RSU to finish tied for sixth in the conference. They went 9-9 in conference play last season.
• This season is RSU's first season with postseason eligibility, as they have completed their transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
• RSU has the best rebound margin in the Heartland Conference, with a rebound margin of 4.4.
• Senior forward Natasha Kindred leads the Hillcats in scoring at 10.0 points per game, the only Hillcat averaging double figures. Her career shooting percentage of 50.4 ranks third all-time in
RSU history.
THE SERIES AGAINST RSU
LCU has a 15-5 advantage in the all-time series after an 89-41 win in Lubbock on Feb. 13, 2016. LCU swept the season series last season and has won 11 of the last 12 meetings (RSU has one win in the series since 2010-2011 season), including the last eight. RSU's last win was a 78-70 win on Feb. 14, 2013. LCU is 6-3 all-time in Claremore, Okla. in the series.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. RSU
Jan. 7, 2017 (Lubbock, Texas) - LCU :65 - RSU:49
Bailey Haist and
Tess Bruffey each had 18 points and Lubbock Christian University matched a season high three-game win streak with a 65-49 Heartland Conference victory over Rogers State University Saturday inside Rip Griffin Center.
Bruffey opened the game's scoring 13 seconds into the game and LCU never trailed, opening with an 8-2 run. RSU used back-to-back buckets by Lauren Schuldt to tie the game at 8-8 in the opening quarter. LCU, who led 13-8 after the first quarter, responded with a 10-1 run capped by a three-pointer from Haist to give LCU an 18-9 lead with 6:43 left in the second quarter. RSU would cut the deficit to a five-point differential on two occasions, but a three-pointer by
Bobbi Chitsey with 26 seconds left provided LCU a 28-19 halftime lead.
Bruffey and Haist combined for the opening 13 points of the second half for LCU, who went on a 13-0 run and outscored RSU 16-2 for a 38-19 lead with 6:57 left in the third quarter. Halfway through the quarter, RSU went on an 11-3 scoring advantage to cut the LCU lead to 47-38 a minute into the fourth quarter. RSU would not get any closer. LCU went the final 3:52 without a field goal, but had their last nine points from the free-throw line en rout to the 65-49 win.
Haist and Bruffey combined for 36 of LCU's 65 points and 31 of LCU's 49 points from the field. The two also combined for 10 rebounds, with Haist matching a career high with four rebounds. Haist also matched a career high with four assists. Bruffey contributed her 18 points in 29 minutes of action, as she battled foul trouble and fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter.
Hannah Harbin matched a career high with a game high nine rebounds and was a rebound short of a double-double, as she had 10 points for the Lady Chaps.
LCU's defense held RSU to a 23.3% (7/30) shooting mark in the first half and held them to 31% (18/58) in the game. Lauren Schuldt led RSU with 23 points, producing half (9) of RSU's 18 field goals. The rest of the team was a combined 23% (9/39) from the field. RSU out-rebounded LCU 41-35 and outscored LCU 14-2 in second chance scoring. LCU did win the turnover battle 16-9 and benefitted off a 17-5 scoring advantage in points off turnovers.
