No.2 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (17-1, 6-0)
at NEWMAN (13-7, 4-2)
Thursday, January 25, 2018 - 5:30 p.m.
Fugate Gymnasium (Wichita, Kan.)
Radio: 100.7 The Score
All-Time Series: LCU Leads 7-2
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BOARD THE BUS
No.2 Lubbock Christian University heads on the road for a four-game roadtrip, which includes stops to their northern, eastern and southern-most destinations this season. The trip begins with their northern-most stop Thursday, as LCU faces Newman University in Wichita, Kan. They continue Saturday with a matinee in Fort Smith, Ark. facing Arkansas - Fort Smith for their eastern-most game of the season. LCU, 3-0 in road play this season, plays six of their remaining eight regular season games on the road. This week's test pits a challenging task, as they face the two programs closest to them in the Heartland Conference standings. LCU, who leads the conference with a 6-0 record, has UAFS (6-1) and Newman (4-2) hungry for a win to catch up to the Lady Chaparrals.
LOOK AT THEIR LAST GAME
Lubbock Christian University's
Tess Bruffey completed a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) to move up the Lady Chaparrals record books and her Saturday performance inside Rip Griffin Center helped lead to them to a 78-64 win over Oklahoma Christian in Heartland Conference play. With the win, LCU became the 13th team in NCAA Division II history to obtain 45 consecutive home wins (actively leads the nation). It was also their 47th consecutive conference home win (41-0 all-time at home in Heartland Conference play).
LCU's win included their biggest deficit they have overcome this season. All their largest deficits they have overcome this season (wins in 17 of 18 games) have come in the opening quarter. The opening quarter Saturday witnessed six lead changes, which matched the most in a Lady Chaps contest this season (matched Nov. 10 contest against Colorado State – Pueblo). Katie Mayo was carrying the Lady Eagles early. She scored 10 points in the opening quarter and capped a 5-0 run with a field goal with 3:18 left in the opening quarter for a 14-8 lead for OC. Bruffey provided the response LCU needed with a three-pointer to spark a 15-2 LCU run. The first six points of the run were provided by Bruffey, who had 10 points in the first quarter and helped LCU take a 17-16 lead into the second quarter.
The lead was at 23-16 (6:27 left in the second quarter) at the close of the 15-2 run.
Caitlyn Cunyus connected on a trio of three pointers in the opening half. Two came on consecutive attempts midway through the second quarter. Cunyus (six points) and
Maddi Chitsey (five points) combined for 11 points in the second quarter and helped build LCU's lead into double figures. A 5-0 LCU run closed out the half with LCU outscoring OC 25-13 in the quarter for a 42-29 halftime lead. LCU was 47.1% (16/34) from the field in the half, with a 64.7% (11/17) shooting mark inside the arc.
LCU's offense continued in the third quarter, shooting 63.6% (7/11) in the quarter. They outscored OC 27-17, receiving points from seven different individuals. Cunyus (seven points) and Bruffey (six points) combined for 13 points in the frame. LCU went to the free-throw line 17 times in the quarter and converted on 11 attempts. Six of the 11 points from the line in the quarter came during a 10-0 run to put LCU up 59-39 with 2:53 left in the quarter. They completed the quarter with a 69-46 lead.
The Lady Chaps scored the first three points of the fourth quarter and had their largest lead at 72-46 (47 seconds into the quarter). Chitsey made a field goal six seconds into the quarter, but LCU would only score one additional field goal in the game (they closed the game 1-of-9 from the field).
Ashton Duncan's layup ended a sequence of seven consecutive field goal misses by LCU in the quarter. OC, with seven points in the quarter from Audrey Hayes, outscored LCU 14-2 in paint scoring and 13-3 in points off turnovers (eight turnovers by LCU in the quarter), but they were unable to cut LCU's to less than a 14-point lead.
LCU produced 21 points from the free-throw line, as they outscored OC 21-7 from the line. Twenty-two (22) of LCU's 29 attempts came in the second half. LCU had their second highest rebound total of the season, with 48 rebounds. Bruffey's 12 rebounds led LCU, who out-rebounded OC 48-31 for a +17 rebound margin.
Bruffey led LCU with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Cunyus (16 points) and Chitsey (12 points). OC, outscoring LCU 23-15 in points off turnovers, was led by Mayo, who finished with 13 points. Maddison Collyer (12 points), Hayes (11 points) and Addy Clift (10 points) also provided OC with offensive contributions. OC (5-13, 1-5), entering the game as the conference's leading team in scoring, was held to 35.7% (25/70) shooting from the field.
The victory for LCU (17-1 overall and 6-0 in conference) marked their 13th consecutive win over the Lady Eagles. LCU still trails the all-time series 24-29, but they have won 20 of the last 23 meetings.
MARGINALIZE
LCU moved up to eighth nationally with a conference leading scoring margin of 20.8 points per game in outscoring their opponents. In the prior six games played prior Jan. 4, LCU had single-digit wins in three of the contests. In their five games since, LCU outscored their opponents by an average of 26.6 points.
MARGINS PART II
Another margin LCU leads the Heartland Conference in is rebounding margin (16th nationally), with an average of 8.4 more rebounds per game over their opposition. They have a 16.8 per game rebounding advantage over their opponents in the last five games. Their season high came Jan. 6, with a +19 rebound advantage over St. Mary's.
SECOND QUARTER SURGING
In LCU's 17 wins, they have faced deficits in nine of them and their largest deficits in all nine occasions have come in the first quarter. Despite the stat, LCU has not trailed at the end of the first quarter in any of their 17 wins. LCU has overcome the deficits and have surged in the second quarters of games. The Lady Chaps are averaging 22.7 points per game in the second quarter over their prior six games and averaging a point advantage of 22.7 - 8.8 against their opponents in the span. On Jan. 18, LCU held St. Edward's to one point the entire second quarter, outscoring the Hilltoppers 25-1 in the quarter.
NATIONALLY KNOWN
New national rankings came out Tuesday afternoon, and the Lady Chaparrals moved up to No.2 in both the D2SIDA and WBCA NCAA Div. II Women's Basketball Top-25 Poll. The only team they are behind is No.1 Ashland, who is the only team to defeat LCU this season. The No.2 ranking marks their best ranking this season in each poll.
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks ninth nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 46.9% from the field. They also lead the nation in field goal defense, holding the opposition to 31.1% shooting on the season. Their allowance of 51.6 points per game ranks second in the nation.
PERIMETER PLAY
Despite ranking seventh in the Heartland in three-point field goal attempts, LCU leads the conference in three-point field goals made per game (7.4), as they have the 11th best three-point shooting percentage in the nation at 38.3%. On the other end, LCU is holding opponents to a 29.1% shooting percentage from long range.
BLOCKING IT OUT
Tess Bruffey, who ranked second nationally last season in blocks per game (3.9), leads the nation with 78 blocks on the season. Her 78 blocks come at a rate of 4.3 per game (second nationally) and she has more blocks than all but 40 NCAA Div. II teams (301 teams in Div. II). The Lady Chaps, as a team, leads the nation with 123 blocks. In her career, Bruffey has a program and conference record 350 blocks, marking her as the NCAA Div. II's active career leader (third among all levels). She also ranks on the NCAA Div. II's active career leader charts in points (1,491, 13th), field goals (546, 11th) and double-doubles (22, 15th).
MORE TESS-TALK
Saturday in LCU's win over Oklahoma Christian,
Tess Bruffey obtained sole possession of fifth place in LCU's career record books, passing Carol Hise (540, 1990-1994) in field goals (546) and Beth Capps (721,1993-97) in rebounds (727). She is six rebounds away from passing Hise (732) in rebounds and nine points away from achieving 1,500 points.
ROAD-"D'S"
LCU is 3-0 in road play this season and have produced some defensive minded performances. In two of their three road games, LCU has held the home team to under 23% shooting from the field. They held Texas A&M Commerce to a 21.7% from the field on Nov. 13 and Rogers State to a 22% shooting mark on Jan. 10. LCU has outscored opponents by average of 69.4 - 44.0 on the road this season, holding the home team to a 24.3% shooting mark. The Lady Chaps have a 66-33 advantage in points from the free-throw line on the road as well.
Tess Bruffey leads LCU on the road averaging 15.3 points per game, with
Olivia Robertson contributing 12.0 points per game on the road.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT NU
• The Jets are 13-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play this season. They are winners of their last two games and have won four straight at home, where they are 9-1.
• The Heartland Conference Preseason Poll selected NU to finish fifth in the conference. They are currently 4-2 this season in conference play (third place) and went 9-7 in conference play last season.
• The Jets rank 12th nationally in free throws made (311), for an average of 15.6 points per game from the charity stripe.
• Hannah Alexander leads the Heartland Conference in field goals made, with a mark of 133, which is 18th nationally.
• Newman assistant coach Clarissa Krum is a former Lady Chaps assistant and served as the head coach of the LCU JV programs in 2012-13 (LCU had junior varsity programs while in the NAIA), while completing her master's degree at LCU.
THE SERIES AGAINST NU
The two programs have met nine times and all as Heartland Conference foes. LCU leads the all-time series 7-2. Newman ended a three-game series losing streak against LCU with 61-60 win over LCU on Jan. 30, 2017 in Wichita. LCU rebounded to win the next two meetings last season, winning 60-55 in Lubbock (Feb. 16, 2017) and 63-57 at the Heartland Conference Tournament (Mar. 3, 2017 in Tulsa, Okla.). LCU is 2-2 all-time in Wichita against NU and 2-3 all-time in Kansas (against all opponents).
PRIOR MEETING VS. NU
Mar. 3, 2017 (Tulsa, Okla.): LCU 63 - NU 57
Bobby Chitsey led four Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals in double figures with 15 points and
Tess Bruffey registered her 10th double-double of the season (12 points, 10 rebounds) to lead the No.3-seeded Lady Chaps to a 63-57 victory over No.6-seed Newman in the Quarterfinals of the Heartland Conference Tournament at John Q. Hammons Arena (UMAC).
The teams combined for half of the game's scoring in the fourth quarter, with the team's combining for 60 points through the first three quarters and 60 points in the final quarter. Each squad offensively from the field to start off the contest. Newman was held to 10 field goals through the first three quarters, but LCU was unable to build a lead with 13 field goals during the same stretch.
Following the opening bucket by Newman, LCU responded with a 5-0 run and never relinquished the lead. Despite having the lead the rest of the way, LCU was unable to build more than a six-point lead until 1:27 remained in the third quarter. LCU led 12-8 following the opening quarter and led 23-19 at the half, with Chitsey leading the Lady Chaps with 8 points. Each team had eight field goals in the first half, with the teams combining for 15 of their 16 field goals inside the arc. LCU's
Bailey Haist had the game's only three-pointer in the opening half, as the LCU as 1-of-10 and NU was 0-of-8 from long range in the half.
The game was locked at 23-19 for a span of 5:12 and the two baskets that bookended the game's drought was by LCU's
Olivia Robertson. Newman was as close as 28-25 (2:44 left in the third quarter) before Robertson struck again with a three-pointer to jumpstart a 9-0 run, which was part of a 13-3 LCU run to give them a 41-28 lead with 7:56 remaining. Iva Krstevska had 11 points for NU in the fourth quarter and a three-pointer with 1:34 remaining cut LCU's lead to 54-49, but it was as close as they get.
Each team was 54.5% from the field in the final quarter and Newman outscored LCU 32-28 in the quarter. LCU finished the game with 22 points from the free-throw line, with 16 coming in the fourth quarter.
LCU finished the game 36.5% (19/52) from the field, while Newman was 35.5% (22/62). The teams combined for 27 turnovers (15 by Newman), but Newman outscored LCU 6-5 in points off turnovers. LCU had a 32-20 scoring advantage in the point. The two teams struggled from the perimeter, with LCU going 3-of-19 (15.8%) and Newman going 4-of-19 21.1%.
Chitsey led LCU with 15 points, scoring seven of her points from the line. She was joined in double figures by Bruffey, Robertson and
Hannah Harbin, as each had 12 points. Bruffey registered seven blocks and was three blocks away from recording her second triple-double of the season. Newman, whose season closes with a 19-10 mark, received a game-high 16 points from All-Conference selection Hannah Alexander. She was a rebound shy of a double-double, but teammate Mali Wright did complete the double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. NU also received 11 points from Krstevska and 10 points Natalia Hausmann.
