DALLAS BAPTIST (4-2, 0-0)
VS. LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (5-2, 0-0)
Thursday, November 29 - 7 PM                                             
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: 100.7 FM "The Score"
All-Time Series: DBU leads 28-19
 
TIS THE SEASON
Lubbock Christian University has a busy week to open Heartland Conference play this week.  They open their conference schedule Thursday hosting Dallas Baptist University (DBU) at 7 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center before a quick venture to Fort Smith, Ark. To face Arkansas Fort Smith for another conference game Saturday at 1 p.m. The Chaps head into Thursday 5-2 and facing a 4-2 DBU squad.    
 
SATURDAY SUMMARY
LCU's Brennen Fowler (27) and Isaac Asrat (24) combined for 51 points and they helped the Chaparrals hold off a furious comeback attempt by Colorado State University – Pueblo en route to a 89-79 LCU win in the final game of the Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic Saturday night inside First United Bank Center.
 
The Chaps shot 54.1% (33/61) overall in the game. They were 61.5% (24/31) for the game inside the arc, going 15-of-22 (68.2%) inside the arc in the second half. Fowler posted a season-high 27 points off a 11-of-19 shooting performance. He also had nine rebounds for a third consecutive game. Asrat also posted a season high with 24 points, going 4-of-6 from long range. Kobe Thompson joined the "high" trend, scoring a career high 15 points, with 11 produced in the second half. Kentton Williams joined Fowler, Asrat and Thompson in double figures with 10 points.
 
CSU-Pueblo, dropping to 2-4, also had four players finish with at least 10 points. Dalen Jackson and Jordan Phillips each had 18 to lead the ThunderWolves, while Oldham used 12 points in the second half for 14 points in the game and Jason Anderson added 13 points. They finished the game 39.3% from long range (11/28) and 49% (25/51) from the field.

The meeting with CSU-Pueblo was the first since the 1977-78 season (all-time series now tied 1-1).
 
FOWL PLAY
Lubbock Christian University forward Brennen Fowler landed his second Heartland Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week honor after nearly averaging a double-double in three games for the Chaps last week. The award was given for games played from Nov. 19 - Nov. 25.

Fowler, a senior from Smyer, Texas, claimed All-Tournament Team honors at the 2018 Pak-A-Sak Thanksgiving Classic in Canyon, Texas after leading LCU to a 2-1 week. Fowler averaged 20.7 points and 9.0 rebounds on the week, missing a double-double by one rebound in all three games. He shot 56.8%, 25-of-44, from the field and connected on four three-pointers in the three games. He opened with 19 points and nine rebounds against Dallas Christian and averaged 21.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in a pair of games in Canyon. His 27 points against CSU-Pueblo was a season high. This is Fowler's second weekly award this season.
 
RIP IT UP
LCU is back on the Rip Griffin Center hardwood, where they are 2-0 this season and went 10-3 last season (38-7 since the start of the 2015-16 season). Isaac Asrat and Brennen Fowler are co-leading the squad each averaging 16.5 points per game at home this season.
 
BOARD TALK
Despite ranking fifth in the Heartland Conference in rebounds (262), LCU ranks 32^nd nationally in the category. LCU has produced a higher rebound total than their opposition in their last five games, and they have a 9.8 rebound margin in the span. Fowler ranks 18^th nationally averaging 9.7 rebounds per game.
 
STRONG FINISHES
LCU's contests have been low scoring in the first half of play. LCU is averaging 32.7 points in the first half compared to 41.4 in the second half. Their opponents are averaging 30.0 points in the first half and 37.0 points in the second half. Overall, LCU is holding their opponents to an average of 67.0 points per game (LCU averaged 72.5 points per game last season), ranking 54^th nationally in NCAA Div. II.
 
HEART-TO-HEART TALK
This season marks the 20^th and final season of existence for the Heartland Conference. LCU is 2-3 all-time in Heartland Conference openers, with a win at DBU on Dec. 17, 2016 marking their last conference opening win. This season marks their fourth conference opener against DBU, but the first in Lubbock. This marks only their second ever conference opener at home, with Dec. 18, 2014 (vs. Texas A&M International) marking their last.
 
"D-UP!"
The Chaparrals are holding opponents to a 40.7% shooting mark from the field, which ranks 57^th nationally. Inside, the Chaps are averaging 37.4 rebounds per game and rank 54^th nationally with a rebound margin of 6.4 per game.   
 
FIVE FACTS ABOUT DBU
- DBU is 4-2 this season and coming off a 72-66 win Saturday in Tahlequah, Okla. against Northeastern State.
- The Patriots went 26-6 last season, going 12-4 in the Heartland Conference to claim a share of the conference regular season title. They were slated to win the regular season this season in the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll.
- DBU ranks fifth nationally in three-point field goals per game with a rate of 12.8 per contest. Conner Lidiak (2.67, third), JT Harris (2.5, fifth) and Jordan Manse (2.4, sixth) rank in the top-six in the conference in three-pointers per game. DBU averaged 8.7 three-pointers per game against LCU last season. The Pats have 77 three-pointers this season, which ranks 10^th nationally.
- Dallas Baptist is 79.7% as a team from the charity stripe, which ranks 21^st nationally and leads the Heartland Conference. Chandler Jacobs is 23-of-24 (95.8%) from the line, ranking 10^th nationally in free-throw percentage.  
- Julian Miranda leads the Heartland Conference with a 2.25 assist/turnover ratio.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST DBU
The rivalry between the Chaparrals and the Patriots first began in the 1965-66 school year where DBU opened up an 11-game winning streak with a 95-80 result over LCU. Dallas Baptist has extended their advantage in the series to a 28-19 record since that inaugural meeting. Since becoming Heartland Conference members in the 2013-14 season, the two teams have split 12 meetings 6-6. The two teams met three times last season, with DBU winning twice, including 73-68 in Tulsa, Okla. at the Heartland Conference season on Mar. 3, 2018, which ended the LCU season.
 
PRIOR MEETING WITH DBU
TULSA, Okla. (March 3, 2018) – LCU 68 – DBU 73
Lubbock Christian University's season came to a close after a 73-68 loss to No.22/25 and top-seeded Dallas Baptist University inside Union Multipurpose Activity Center (UMAC) at the Heartland Conference Tournament. DBU's Connor Lidiak hit a 25-foot three-pointer, with the Patriots leading by one in the closing seconds, to prevent the Chaparrals from overcoming an 11-point deficit. LCU senior Marcos Schuster and junior Brennen Fowler paved the way for the Chaps in the Heartland Conference Tournament's semifinal round standing as the only Chaps to register double-scoring figures. Schuster fell two-points shy of tying a career-high with 27 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists.
 
After taking the opening tip, LCU found their way to a 9-5 lead following an old-fashioned three-point play from Rashaan Proctor. Dallas Baptist then scored nine unanswered points over their next five possessions to overtake the lead at 13-9 with 11:09 to play in the half. Schuster intervened with a pair of free throws, but the Patriot offense continued to ramp up extending their advantage to eight points, 25-17, after Patrick Burke converted on an and-one play. Lubbock Christian responded scoring six points over the next two-minutes before Proctor stepped behind the arc and knocked down a triple that cut the Chap deficit to 27-26 with 3:10 remaining in the period. LCU continued to chip away at DBU and even took a 30-29 lead with one minute left on the clock. The Patriots then knocked down a pair of go-ahead free throws to take a 31-30 lead heading into halftime.
 
Though Schuster shot 3-of-9 throughout the opening period, he could not miss from the free throw line going a perfect 6-for-6 to lead the Chaparrals with 12 points at the break. Fowler also found success on 4-of-4 shooting to set himself dangerously close to a first-half double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. Proctor's timely three-pointer was the Chaps only triple in the half. Though they trailed, LCU still managed to be more efficient with their shot selection than the Patriots who were held to 35.3% (12-of-34) from the floor. Lubbock Christian's offense found themselves shooting 47.8% (11-of-23) but were plagued with 10 turnovers (they turned the ball over once in the second half).
 
After the Patriots converted just two three-pointers in the first half, JT Harris wasted no time knocking down a triple within the opening 30 seconds of the second period. DBU used their momentum to surge out to a 44-36 lead over the Chaparrals, who could not seem to produce a stop against the Patriot offense. Another successful and-one by Patrick Burke gave the Dallas Baptist squad an 11-point lead at 53-42. Schuster took over the LCU offense, charging the basket to draw and convert six free throws while pulling down a pair of defensive rebounds and dishing out one assist over the next three minutes. Schuster's rampage pushed the Chaparrals to 10 unanswered points, bringing the Dallas Baptist advantage to 54-53 with 8:35 remaining. The Patriots found their footing and pushed themselves to a 69-61 edge with 1:53 to play. LCU mounted one final comeback with a jumper from Fowler inside the paint. Schuster immediately followed with a trey before Isaac Asrat streaked through the lane for a layup. Just like that, the Chaps were within one-point of DBU who called a timeout with 25 seconds left in regulation. On the in-bound, LCU's defense held strong forcing the Patriots to run off 12-seconds from the clock. Connor Lidak received the ball just inside half court before heaving a shot from 25-feet out for Dallas Baptist. Unfortunately for Lubbock Christian, Lidiak connected taking the air out of the Chaps and putting DBU up 72-68. Harris sank one final Patriot free throw to finish off the LCU squad 73-68.
 
Lubbock Christian could not seem to find their pace on offense in the second half combining for a 34.4% (11-of-32) field goal average. Schuster added 15 points and six more free throws in the final period, pushing the Chaps to a 14-for-16 (87.5%) second-half free throw clip.
 
LCU registered 30 points from inside the paint and 15 points on second-chance attempts in the contest. Lubbock Christian's bench came up with 12 points, while the entire Lubbock Christian unit combined for a 21-of-25 (84%) outing from the free throw line. Fowler notched 14 rebounds to capture his ninth double-double of the season and push the Chaparrals to a 41-35 advantage on the glass.