TAJ HOSPITALITY CLASSIC
METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER (0-0, 0-0)
AT No.3/10 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (0-0, 0-0)
Friday, November 9 - 1:00 PM                                             
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 3-2

OPENING TIP
No.3/10 Lubbock Christian University opens the 2018-19 regular season hosting a four-team TAJ Hospitality Classic inside Rip Griffin Center, where they tip things off Friday at 1 p.m. against Metropolitan State of Denver. The four teams in the classic have Colorado State University - Pueblo and Texas A&M University – Commerce joining LCU and MSU-Denver in Lubbock, marking the fourth straight season the four teams have met for a season-opening tournament.
 
WHAT AN EXHIBIT
The Lady Chaps went 1-1 in the exhibition season, defeating Southern Methodist University 62-51 before falling to New Mexico 62-55. LCU played both opponents on the road in a three-day span and had their record go to 4-2 all-time against NCAA Division II opponents. This season's exhibition season marked the first in which LCU played two NCAA Division I opponents in one season.
 
CHANGES IN THE AIR
The exhibition schedule was a noticeable cosmetic to the differences of the 2018-19 season. On the court, the difference will be LCU without any remaining All-Americans from their 2016 NCAA Division II championship squad, and the current roster hopes the former All-Americans are only "missing by name." LCU has to replace Tess Bruffey, who closed out a dominant four-year career as last season's Heartland Conference Woman of the Year. Bruffey capped her stellar career leading the Lady Chaps to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years. Bruffey was named the Heartland Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, marking the first women's basketball player to accomplish the feat since Incarnate Word's Nia Torru in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. She also became the first women's basketball player to win both the Player and Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season. Bruffey was named to two All-America teams earning honors from both the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
 
The Lubbock, Texas native led the conference in blocks per game with 3.9 and set a conference record in total blocks for both a career (401) and single season (129). The senior ranks 19th in Division II history in single-season blocks and was second in total blocks among DII players this season. She also ranked among the conference leaders in several categories in points per game (15.1, 3rd), rebounds per game (8.5, 2nd) and field goal percentage (.419, 6th). Bruffey closed her career with a 55-2 (96.5%) playing record inside Rip Griffin Center and she was on the winning side for the final 50 straight home games she played in.
 
Bruffey is not the only former All-American to have left, yet Gomez seems to find away to continue success and new All-Americans come along. LCU is 131-21 (.862) since leaving the NAIA in 2012-13. Looking to build off their success of an Elite Eight appearance and a 31-2 record last season is a squad of 13 players, with 11 returning members. Along with seeking to replace Bruffey, LCU has to replace starting guard Delaney Gaddis and spiritual leader Caitlyn Cunyus, who each added a behind-the-scenes element to the build-up of the on-court success. Three starters return, with Bobbi Chitsey and Olivia Robertson standing as the only remaining members of the 2016 championship team.
 
Last season, LCU's defense led the nation (allowed an average of 52.7 points a game) and they averaged a winning margin of 18.3 points a game. The success in that department allowed LCU to play a majority of their depth late in contests. Bruffey was LCU's individual game leader in scoring for 12 of LCU's first 21 games, but other members occupied the role in nine of the remaining 12 games. Maddi Chitsey led LCU in scoring nine games last season and heads into this season claiming Heartland Conference Preseason All-Conference honors. Chitsey averaged 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season for the Lady Chaps which was 11th in the conference. The junior post player was a Second Team All-Heartland Conference selection last season, and claimed All-Tournament Team honors in the South Central Region Tournament. Chitsey ranked third in the conference with 33 blocked shots.
 
While one Cunyus (Caitlyn Cunyus) enters the regular season day-to-day (she did not play in the exhibition season), a new Cunyus (Channing Cunyus) will be making her debut. The former Canyon High School (Canyon, Texas) star is one of two new additions on the LCU roster. Former Stratford, Texas two-time all-state member Laynee Burr joins Cunyus on the 13-deep roster, which features six sophomores, three juniors and a pair of seniors.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
D2SIDA has LCU ranked No.3 in their Women's Basketball Preseason Media National Poll. LCU has found their way into the D2SIDA preseason poll five consecutive seasons, marking every season they have been eligible to appear (due to the transfer from NAIA to NCAA Div. II), ranking No.23 (2017-18), No. 4 (2016-17), No.15 (2015-16) and receiving votes in 2014-15. LCU is the third highest ranked team in the South Central Region and they joined defending champion Central Missouri as the only two teams to receive first-place votes (LCU received 1 of the 16 first-place votes). The D2SIDA polls are voted on by a committee of sports information directors at Division II member institutions nationwide.
 
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association released their 2018-2019 Women's Basketball NCAA Div. II Preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll and Lubbock Christian University opened the season ranked No.10. The WBCA NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Preseason Poll is another poll LCU has consistently debut in each season since being eligible. Last season, LCU was receiving votes and this season's No.10 debut is their best since ranked No.11 in the 2016-17 preseason poll. In 2015-16, they debuted at No.18 before making their way to No.1 en route their NCAA Division II national title.
 
FOR OPENERS
LCU is probably more known for how they finish the season, than how they begin the season. The Lady Chaps have dropped six of the last 11 season openers. LCU fell 67-51 the last time they opened with Metro State (two seasons ago) and they are 0-2 all-time in season openers against MSU-Denver. Last season, LCU opened their season in Commerce, Texas with a 57-52 win over No.5 CSU-Pueblo In season openers, LCU is 25-14 all-time and 9-6 under head coach Steve Gomez. LCU's prior four season openers have been on the road. Their last season opener at home was Nov. 7, 2013, which resulted in a 98-46 win over Texas College.
 
TOTAL ECLPISE OF THE HEARTLAND
LCU plays their final season in the Heartland Conference this season, and they take the No.1 preseason ranking in the conference. The Lady Chaps have finished atop the Heartland Conference standings in four of the past five seasons. Next season, LCU moves into the Lone Star Conference.  
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MSUD
- Metro State is coming off a 23-9 record last season and finishing second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings with a 17-5 mark. They closed last season in Lubbock, Texas with a 70-60 loss in the South Central Region Tournament.
- The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason picked the Roadrunners second in the conference behind Black Hills State.
- Jaelynn Smith (11.1 points per game last season) is a returning Roadrunners, who claimed Preseason All-RMAC honors this season for a second straight season. She ranked second in the conference last season with 150 assists.
- Last season, MSU Denver led the RMAC and ranked 40^th in rebounds with a mark 1,257 on the season.
- The Roadrunners went 9-3 on the road last season. They complete their opening weekend of play Saturday facing Texas A&M – Commerce inside Rip Griffin Center.

THE SERIES AGAINST MSUD
LCU leads the all-time series 3-2. The first meeting was on Nov.5, 2011 (game was an exhibition game for Metro State) with Metro defeating LCU 61-44 in a contest LCU was 0-of-15 from three-point range. LCU claimed a win in the following meeting 81-63 on Nov. 16, 2012 in Denver, as Metro was ranked No.7 nationally and LCU carried a No.1 ranking in the NAIA. The two teams last played a season opener on Nov. 11, 2016 in Denver, Colo. (MSU Denver won 67-51). Last season, Kailin Davis (14 points) and Olivia Robertson (11 points) combined for 25 points to lead LCU past MSU-D 71-53 in Commerce, Texas (Nov. 11, 2017).
 
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. MSUD
Nov. 11, 2017 (Commerce, Texas) – MSUD:71 - LCU:53
Tess Bruffey produced a double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) and the Lady Chaparrals knocked down 10 three-pointers, as No.23 Lubbock Christian University improved to 2-0 on the season with a 71-53 win over Metropolitan State University of Denver Saturday evening at 1525 Tournament hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce inside University Field House.  
 
Bruffey, coming off a foul-plagued six-point performance Friday, opened her scoring early, leading LCU with seven points in the first quarter. Teams traded buckets to tie the game 5-5 before LCU erupted with a 10-2 run, with four different players contributing to the run for LCU. LCU led 15-9 after the opening quarter. Both squads shot over 53% in the second quarter. LCU extended their lead to 31-18 on a three-pointer by Olivia Robertson with 3:45 left in the half, but MSU Denver came back with an 8-0 run to cut the LCU lead to 31-26 before the break.  
 
The Lady Chaps, leading 33-26 at the half, opened the contest 6-of-8 from three-point range and completed the half 6-of-10 from long range.  Four different players were involved in the long distance connections, with Bruffey and Kailin Davis each connecting twice in the half.  
 
Jaelynn Squires-Horton made things interesting, hitting a three-pointer a minute into the third quarter for MSU Denver. The bucket capped a 5-0 run for the Roadrunners and cut LCU's lead to 37-32. LCU's Delaney Gaddis ended the threat with a three-pointer of her own and LCU quickly got the lead back to double figures (42-32 with 4:47 to go in the third quarter). Later in the quarter, LCU fought off another MSU Denver rally with an 8-2 run paced by six free-throws to lead 55-42 heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Chaps, who never trailed in the game, never led by less than 12 points in the final quarter and shot 50% from the field (6/12).  
 
Bruffey led all scorers with her 20 points and she was joined in double figures by Davis (14 points) and Robertson (11 points).  LCU completed the game 10-of-18 (55.6%) from three-point range. Six different Lady Chap hit three-pointers, led by a career high four three-pointers from Bruffey.  
 
Georgia Ohrdorf led the Roadrunners with 14 points.  MSU Denver (0-2) was 39.2% (20/51) from the field and 3-of-10 (30%) from long range.