TEXAS A&M - COMMERCE (1-1, 0-0)
AT No.3/10 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (2-0, 0-0)
Monday, November 12 - 6:00 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: TAMUC leads 2-1
LEFTOVERS
The Lubbock Christian University hosted the TAJ Hospitality Classic this past weekend, with LCU claiming wins over Metropolitan State and Colorado State - Pueblo. The one other team that was here the Lady Chaparrals did not face was Texas A&M – Commerce, who LCU will face Monday night at 6 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center.
HOMELAND SECURITY
LCU completed their home schedule going 16-0 last season season. They are the 10th team in NCAA Division II women's basketball history to win 52 consecutive home games with their win over CSU-Pueblo Saturday (it actively leads NCAA Div. II). If LCU extends the streak to 53, they would become the eighth team in NCAA Division II history to hit the plateau. The record is 87 consecutive home victories by Nebraska-Kearney, who completed the task from Jan. 31, 1995 - Nov. 24, 2001. LCU's last home loss came on Jan. 1, 2015 against Oklahoma City University. LCU has also won 49 consecutive home conference games, with their last conference home loss occurring Jan. 10, 2013 (against Oklahoma City). They are 43-0 all-time in Heartland Conference home games.
ROBERTSON IS OFF AND GOING
Olivia Robertson helped LCU to a 2-0 week, as they extended their home win streak to 52 games with wins over Metro State and CSU-Pueblo (two regional qualifiers last season) in the TAJ Hospitality Classic. She averaged 17.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.0 assists per game. The senior opened with 12 points against MSU Denver off a 4-of-8 shooting performance and followed with 22 points and 7 rebounds against CSU-Pueblo, which included 13 points in the second half. She was 50% from the field (11/22), going 3-of-6 from three-point range. She had six steals against MSU Denver, which wsa the most in a single game for a Lady Chap since Nicole Hampton had 7 in the NCAA Division II Championship Game on Apr. 3, 2016.
SISTER CHRISTIAN
Saturday's win over CSU-Pueblo marked the first time in LCU program history in which a pair of sisters tallied double figures, as LCU received double-digit point production from
Olivia Robertson,
Juliana Robertson,
Bobbi Chitsey and
Maddi Chitsey.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT TAMUC
- TAMUC is 1-1 after splitting their pair of games in Lubbock over the weekend. They fell to CSU-Pueblo 77-68 in overtime Friday before rebounding for a 71-66 win over MSU Denver Saturday.
- The Lions went 18-12 last season, with a 13-7 mark in Lone Star Conference play. Their season came to a close with a LSC Tournament semifinal loss to West Texas A&M.
- A&M-Commerce is preseason picked fourth in the LSC Preseason Poll.
- The Lions return three players from last season's squad, and one starter. Princess Davis is the lone starter to return for A&M-Commerce. Davis started all 30 games during the 2017-18 season and averaged 12.8 points (a career high), 3.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds. She was fourth in the LSC in assists.
- Ekaterina Zhibareva leads TAMUC in scoring through two games this season with an average of 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
THE SERIES AGAINST TAMUC
TAMUC has a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. Prior to last season's 74-39 LCU win in Commerce, Texas (Nov. 13, 2017), the two teams had not met since a 68-63 Lions win on Nov. 15, 2005 in Commerce. The first ever meeting was on Jan. 29, 1982 when TAMUC was known as East Texas State, who defeated Lubbock Christian 73-66 in a neutral site contest in Stephenville, Texas.
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. TAMUC
Nov. 13, 2017 (Commerce, Texas) - TAMUC: 39 - LCU:74
Tess Bruffey completed a double-double in the opening half and finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and No.23 Lubbock Christian University also received offensive production from 10 different players, as they rolled to 3-0 with a 74-39 win over Texas A&M-Commerce Monday evening inside University Field House.
Lubbock Christian University opened the game 5-of-7 from the field, with the opening five field goals converted by five different Lady Chaps. Meanwhile, the Lions struggled to generate any offense early. They missed their first 10 shot attempts and went 1-of-16 (6.3%) from the field in the opening quarter. LCU outscored TAMUC 23-4 in the first quarter, with Bruffey scoring 11 points for the Lady Chaps in the quarter. She was 3-for-4 from three-point range. Seven different Lady Chaps tallied at least a point in the opening quarter of play.
The second quarter got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring the first 2:40 into the quarter. The Lady Chaps opened the second quarter on a 7-3 run and built the lead to 30-10 on a free-throw by
Bobbi Chitsey. LCU went on to hold TAMUC to one two-point field goal and four total field goals the entire first half. Bruffey had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the first half to notch her second straight double-double performance and LCU led 38-12 at the half.
Continuing where they left off, LCU opened the third quarter with a three-pointer from Delaney Gattis and it jumpstarted a 7-2 run for a 45-14 lead. LCU shot 61.5% (8/13) from the field in the third quarter, going 5-of-6 inside the arc. Bruffey led LCU with six points in the quarter. Reserves flooded the court in the fourth quarter, with LCU leading 62-28 to start the quarter.
Allie Schulte, who completed the contest with four steals, produced five of her eight points in the quarter to lead LCU in the frame.
Maddi Chitsey converted a layup with 7:43 remaining for LCU's largest lead (68-30).
Caitlyn Cunyus and
Olivia Robertson each had 10 points and they joined Bruffey in double figures in points. Bruffey was 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range. She was a rebound shy of matching a career high. LCU went 11-of-28 (39.3%) from long range, marking their second straight game with at least 10 three-pointers. TAMUC was held to 22.4% (13/58) shooting on the night, with Melanie Ransom leading the squad with 10 points.
