JARVIS CHRISTIAN (3-6, 1-2 Red River)
at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (8-4, 1-1 Heartland)
Saturday, December 29 - 2 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: 100.7 FM "The Score"
All-Time Series: LCU leads 11-0
 
BACK TO THE GRIND
Following a brief 10-day Christmas Break, the Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals return back to the hardwood and continue a three-game homestand before jumping back into Heartland Conference play on Jan. 10 in Laredo, Texas. Saturday, LCU hosts Jarvis Christian College in a non-conference tilt inside Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps have won three of their last four games, including an 87-64 win over Texas-Permian Basin. The Chaps are 8-4 overall this season, with their best 12-game start to their season since opening the 2015-16 season with an 8-4 mark.       
 
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
Five Lubbock Christian University Chaparral members finished in double figures, led by a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double from Brennen Fowler, and a 35-7 run to open the game allowed the Chaps to cruise past Texas - Permian Basin 87-64 inside Rip Griffin Center on Dec. 19.

The 35-7 run to open the contest covered the opening 12:26 of the game. Kentton Williams had 10 of the points during the run, which also contained a 13-0 LCU run in the mix. UTPB eventually slowed down LCU's scoring train and used a 1305 run to cut LCU's lead to 39-20 with 1:57 left in the half. Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath scored the final four points for LCU in the half and LCU led 45-26 at the break. Williams was 4-of-4 from the field in the half for LCU for his 10 points in the half. The Chaps were 11-of-15 inside the arc in the half and finished the half 64% (16/25) from the field. They were 50% from long range (5-of-10), with Williams 2-of-2 from long distance. Their 45 points in the first half was their second-highest total (46 vs. CSU-Pueblo on Nov. 24) in an opening half this season.

Carrying over a pair of free-throws from Gilbreath to end the first half, LCU had a 16-1 run, opening the second half on a 14-1 run. Isaac Asrat registered a pair of three-pointers and had eight points in the run, which put LCU up 59-27 with 14:43 remaining in the second half. They led as much as 33 points (67-34 with 12:17 left) before the falcons eventually had a 15-3 run to trim LCU's lead to 70-49 with 7:31 remaining.

LCU led throughout the contest and received 16 points each from Asrat and Fowler. Asrat had 12 of his 16 points in the second half. Fowler recorded a season-high 15 rebounds and was one shy of matching a career high. Jay Workman (15 points), Williams (14 points) and Rashaan Proctor (10 points) also finished in double figures offensively. Proctor also had a plus/minus rating of +26. The Chaps finished 55.4% (31/56) from the field and went 38.9% (7/18) from three-point range. The win places LCU with an 8-4 record and they are 6-1 at home this season.

UTPB dropped to 8-2 on the season. Adam Rivera finished with 21 points, grabbing 16 points in the second half. The Falcons also received 15 points from Jacob Ledoux and 11 points from Maurice Walton

ISAAC'S LAW
LCU guard Isaac Asrat averaged 5.0 points per game through the first two games of the season, but since then, he has at least 10 points scored in 10 consecutive games and is averaging 17.4 points per game over the span.
 
CAREER CALCULATOR
Lubbock Christian University forward Brennen Fowler, a two-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week, has some active numbers he is building each game in NCAA Division II play. The senior from Smyer, Texas has 1,227 career points, ranking fifth among NCAA Division II active career leaders in double-doubles (30). He also ranks sixth in blocks (150) and eighth in rebounds (756).
 
HOME RULES
LCU remains on the Rip Griffin Center hardwood, where they are 4-1 this season and went 10-3 last season (40-8 since the start of the 2015-16 season). Isaac Asrat is leading the squad at home this season, averaging 15.6 points at home this season. The Chaps are shooting 61.3% at home this season inside the arc. LCU is shooting 14-of-29 (48.3%) from long range in their last two combined home games, which includes a Rip Griffin Center record with a 63.6% shooting mark from three-point range, as LCU was 7-of-11 outside the arc on Dec. 6 in a victory over No.7 West Texas A&M.
 
BOARD TALK
Despite ranking sixth in the Heartland Conference in rebounds (418), LCU enters the weekend ranking 86^th nationally in the category. Opponents have only out-rebounded LCU once over their last 10 games. Fowler heads into the weekend ranking 19^th nationally in rebounds with 108 (39^th nationally in rebounds per game at 9.0).
 
STRONG FINISHES
LCU's contests have been low scoring in the first half of play. LCU did produce their second-best mark Dec. 19 against UTPB with 45 points in the first half to bump their average to 34.9 points in the first half compared to 40.3 in the second half. Their opponents are averaging 29.8 points in the first half and 39.1 points in the second half. Overall, LCU is holding their opponents to an average of 69.2 points per game (LCU averaged an allowance of 72.5 points per game last season), ranking 61^st nationally in NCAA Div. II.
 
LEADER OF LEADERS
How important is Brennen Fowler to the Chaps? Not too many teams have a player that leads their team in points (17.2 per game), rebounding (9.0), blocks (19) and total assists (30), as Fowler is doing.
 
GAME OF PERCENTAGES
The Chaparrals are leading the Heartland Conference with a team field goal shooting mark of 48.8% (48^th nationally). On the defensive side, they are holding opponents to a 41.0% shooting mark from the field, which ranks 43^rd nationally. The Chaps are one of 16 programs nationally ranking in the top-50 nationally in field goal percentage, both offensively and defensively.
 
FIVE FACTS ABOUT JCC
- JCC is 3-6 on the season and 2-3 on the road. The Bulldogs are counting Saturday's contest as an exhibition game, which is one of six on their schedule. They have played four exhibition games (0-4), with one against a NCAA Division I program (Grambling State) and three against NCAA Division II opponents. Their previous exhibition game resulted in an 88-60 loss in San Angelo, Texas against Eastern New Mexico.
- The Bulldogs, based in Hawkins, Texas, are members of the NAIA's Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). They went 7-20 last season, with a 4-14 mark in RRAC play. They closed their season with a 1-7 record over their final eight games.
- JCC is preseason picked seventh in the RRAC Preseason Poll. They are off to a 1-2 start thus far in conference play, coming off a 96-63 loss to Wiley in their previous game played (Dec. 12).
- Jarvis Christian ranks 19^th in the NAIA in three-point shooting percentage, with a mark of 38.2%. They average 8.4 three-pointers per game on 22.1 attempts. They have been below their average of 8.4 three-pointers per game in six of their prior seven games, as they hit 31 three-pointers in their combined opening three games of the season.
- Chasten Kins leads the Bulldogs in scoring and ranks third in the NAIA with a mark of 23.6 points per game. He had tallied at least 21 points in each game this season (tallied 31 against LSU-Shreveport on Dec. 8), until Wiley held him to six points on Dec. 12.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST JCC
Saturday's meeting with Jarvis Christian marks the 12^th all-time meeting between the two programs.  All 11 prior meetings have been won by Lubbock Christian (11-0). Of the 11 prior meetings, six were played between the 1978-79 and 1980-81 seasons. The two programs have not played Nov. 24, 2000 (LCU won 105-84). In that meeting inside Rip Griffin Center, LCU's James Omondi set a Rip Griffin Center record with an 8-for-11 (.727) field goal shooting performance. LCU has posted at least 100 points in six of the 11 meetings. On Jan. 30, 1979, LCU, coached by Larry Hays, posted a program-record 100 field goal attempts in a 118-89 LCU win.