LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (6-9, 2-2) at ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY (10-5, 1-2)
Wednesday, January 10 - 7:30 PM
Expo Center (Claremore, Okla.)
Radio: Double-T 97.3 FM
All-Time Series: RSU leads 15-7




 
MID-WEEK MATCHUP
Wednesday evening will be a proving ground for Lubbock Christian University, as the Chaparrals will continue their Heartland Conference schedule with a tilt at Rogers State University. The Chaps have evened their conference record to a 2-2 mark after winning their past two games (against Texas A&M International and St. Mary's).

SATURDAY REWIND
Saturday afternoon capped a week-strong performance for Todd Duncan and his Lubbock Christian University men's basketball team. The Chaparrals held St. Mary's University to 17 points in the first half en route to an 80-49 Heartland Conference win inside Rip Griffin Center. Isaac Asrat marked a game-high 17 points, while Brennen Fowler notched his fifth double-double of the season on 14 points and 13 rebounds.
 
LCU jumped out early with Fowler and Asrat combining for the Chap's first five buckets to take an 11-8 lead over the Rattlers, inside the opening eight minutes. Marcos Schuster struck next with a three-pointer, sparking a 15-2 LCU scoring run to take a 26-10 lead with 5:17 remaining in the half. St. Mary's would be held to seven points over the remainder of the half, while LCU finished the period shooting 6-of-8 to take a 43-17 lead heading into the locker room.
 
Lubbock Christian held the St. Mary's offense to 25.9% (7-of-27) shooting in the opening period. Asrat led the Chaps at the break with all 17 of his points for the game on four three-pointers and 6-of-9 shooting. Fowler wasted no time with his double-double, picking up 10 points and 10 rebounds in the half. The LCU offense knocked down a staggering 53.3% (16-of-30) shooting performance in the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Chaparrals didn't let off the gas after the intermission and quickly extended their lead to 29 points, 53-24, after a layup by Fowler at the 15:43 mark. Things got worse for St. Mary's three minutes later, as Freddie Williams was charged with a technical foul that led to four consecutive free throw makes from LCU's Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath. Rashaan Proctor provided the stamp for Lubbock Christian on an old-fashioned three-point play, putting the Chaps up 80-44 with 1:09 left on the clock. Though the Rattlers scored five more points before the buzzer, LCU was able to cruise to an 80-49 final score.
 
Lubbock Christian followed up their first half with a 59.1% (13-of-22) field goal average in the second period. For the game, the Chaparral squad tabbed a 55.8% (29-of-52) shooting performance. Gilbreath (13 points) joined Asrat and Fowler as the lone LCU players in double-scoring figures. Asrat knocked down four of Lubbock Christian's nine triples for the day, leading the Chaparrals to a 50% three-point average.

SO DEFENSIVE
LCU has put on a defensive clinic in their previous two contests, holding TAMIU and StMU to an average of 46 points per game. The Chaparrals allowed 17 field goals in each contest and have held their opponents to field goal percentages under 40% seven times this season. Lubbock Christian's defense has forced their opposition into 13 turnovers per game. The Chaps defense ranks second in the Heartland, holding teams to 42% shooting.
 
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES
Isaac Asrat has been the marksman for LCU's offense this year, accumulating 19.4 points per game through the first 15 contests. The junior leads the Heartland for field goal attempts (204) and field goals made (98). Asrat also stands 16^th in the nation for made three-pointers per game (3.33), 14^th for three-point shooting percentage (49%) and 12^th nationally for made triples (50). The junior has recorded double-digit scoring performances in 14 games and has marked 20 points or more in seven of those contests.
 
THE BREAKDOWN
Of their 75.1 points per game, LCU has attacked the basket from a number of spots on the floor. The Chap offense has averaged 32.9 points per contest from inside the paint, 14.4 points per game off of turnovers, 21 points per game from beyond the arc and 14.7 points each contest from the free throw line.
 
AHEAD OF THE TRAIL
The Chaps have jumped out to early leads and not looked back over their past two Heartland games. Against the Dustdevils, LCU scored 19 of the game's first 21 points. In each of their most recent tilts with TAMIU and St. Mary's, Lubbock Christian never trailed at any point throughout either game.
 
RSU FACTS
- The Hillcats know how to get to the free throw line and have done so routinely to open up their season. RSU is 267-of-371 from the charity stripe, and stands 23^rd nationally for free throws attempted and 22^nd nationally for free throws made.
- The Rogers State squad leads the Heartland Conference with a 39.3% shooting average from behind the arc.
- Baron Smith Jr. is coming off his second Heartland Player of the Week accolade this season after leading the Hillcats to a 72-70 victory over a No. 16 ranked Dallas Baptist program.
- Smith has climbed to the top of the RSU stat sheet averaging 16.9 points per contest.
- Making up their 10-5 overall this season, the Hillcats have grabbed a 6-1 record at home.

RIVALRY AGAINST RSU
Rogers State holds a 15-7 series lead over Lubbock Christian in a rivalry that stretches back to the 2007-2008 season. The Hillcats took the first eight meeting against the Chaparrals, but LCU has proven successful in the most recent matchup. The Chaps knocked RSU out of the Heartland Conference Tournament in the opening round last season with a 84-69 result in Tulsa, Okla.

PRIOR MEETING WITH RSU
TULSA, Oklahoma (March 3, 2017) – Lubbock Christian University paved the way for a trip to the Heartland Conference Tournament Semifinals with an 84-69 victory over Rogers State University. Brennen Fowler led the way for LCU's offense by tying a season-high 22 points inside John Q Hammons Arena (UMAC). 
 
Lubbock Christian jumped out to a quick 13-6 lead following a layup by Isaac Cardona just five minutes into the contest. Rogers State tried to produce an answer to the high-powered LCU offense and ultimately cut the Chap lead to four-points, at 27-23, with 7:12 left to play in the half. That turned out to be as close as the Hillcats would come in the period, as Brennen Fowler scored the Chaparral's last four points to allow Lubbock Christian to take a 43-36 lead at halftime.
 
LCU notched an impressive 56.7% (17-of-30) clip from the field in the opening half of play. Fowler posted eight points from inside the arc and six points from the free throw line for 14 first half points. Ridrell Holman shot 2-for-3 from behind the arc and 4-of-6 from the field for a 66.7% shooting average in the half.
 
JD Tisdale led RSU scorers in the half with 13 points and four rebounds. As a squad, RSU was sent to the free throw line a total of 16 times, in the half, and were able to convert on 14 attempts for an 87.5% average from the stripe.
 
The Chaparrals kicked off the second half scoring six of their first eight points from the free throw line opening up their lead to 51-40. Jeylyn Sharpe went on a small 7-3 scoring streak to cut the Chap advantage to seven points with 11:59 remaining. Brennen Fowler quickly answered and put LCU up 58-47. RSU's Baron Smith Jr. eventually knocked down a three-pointer to once again cut the Lubbock Christian lead to seven points at 69-62 with under four minutes remaining. Chaparrals held off remaining RSU scoring threats and claimed an 84-69 victory to finish out the first round of tournament play.
 
Tyler Rogers came up huge with 13 points, in the second half, on 1-of-3 shooting from the field and 78.6% (11-for-14) from the free throw line. After shooting 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the first period, LCU followed up shooting 77.4% (24-for-31) in the second half. Holman and Rogers each grabbed five boards to lead the Chaps to a 25-12 rebounding edge over the Hillcats in the period. The Chaparral defense also held RSU to a meager 37.5% (12-of-32) field goal mark for the half and a 39.3% shooting average for the game.
 
LCU never gave up their lead throughout the entirety of the game. Overall, the Chaps outworked the Hillcats under the basket and outscored Rogers State 32-26 in the paint. Brennen Fowler led the way for LCU with 22 points and nine rebounds for the contest. Rogers (21 points), Holman (14 points), Schuster (13 points) and Jay Workman (10 points) were the only other chaps to enter double-scoring figures. As a team, Lubbock Christian shot 51% from the field and 81.1% (30-for-37) from the free throw line.