NCAA DIVISION II SOUTH CENTRAL REGION - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No.13/21 WEST TEXAS A&M (29-4, 16-4, No.2 Seed)
at No.2 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (30-1, 14-0, No.1 Seed)
Monday, March 12, 2018 - 7 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: 100.7 FM The Score
All-Time Series: Series Tied 1-1
Tweet #LCUvsWT
 
ROAD TO SIOUX FALLS
For Lubbock Christian University it appears all roads to Sioux Falls, S.D. lead through West Texas A&M. The No.2 Lady Chaparrals are seeking a second appearance in the Elite Eight, which is played in Sioux Falls.  The last and only prior time LCU was in the NCAA postseason was 2015-16, as LCU claimed their first national title.  That season, LCU had to defeat West Texas A&M in the South Central Region Championship Game, which they did to advance to the Elite Eight. The difference in scheduling with this season's Elite Eight, as compared to 2015-16, is all final games are scheduled in Sioux Falls. In 2015-16, the national championship game was played in Indianapolis
 
THE "IF's"
IF LCU WINS: If the Lady Chaps defeat WT, they will improve to 31-1 on the season and will move to 6-0 all-time in the South Central Region Tournament. A LCU victory would place them into the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D. and a re-seeding process would await their opponent/bracket. A win Monday would also be LCU's 50th consecutive home win, extending the nation's active leading home win streak.
 
IF LCU LOSES: If the Lady Chaps fall to the Lady Buffs, they will be eliminated from the tournament and will have their season end at 30-2.
 
LOOK AT THEIR LAST GAME
No.2 and top-seeded Lubbock Christian University overcame a four-point deficit in the final 35 seconds of play with five straight points by Caitlyn Cunyus and her only points of the game were exactly what LCU needed for a 61-59 win over Angelo State University.
 
It appeared as if LCU's postseason venture was going to come to an end in the semifinals once a questionable foul on Delaney Gaddis was called placing Keanna Kelly to the free-throw line for a trio of attempts with 39 seconds remaining and ASU up 58-55. Kelly ended up missing two of the three attempts and extended the Belles lead to 59-55 with 39 seconds remaining. Cunyus, who had been 0-of-3 from the field, received a screen in the left corner from Tess Bruffey and flung a rainbow to cut the deficit to 59-58 with 34 seconds left. Five seconds later, Bruffey committed a foul placing Kelly back to the line, but she missed both attempts. With the game clock closing inside 20 seconds, Maddi Chitsey attempted an unsuccessful shot, but out of nowhere came Gaddis with an offensive rebound (her only offensive board of the game). Gaddis fed Cunyus, who drove in and put a shot in off the glass to put LCU up 61-59 with 13 seconds remaining. Marquita Daniels put up a three-pointer with seven seconds left and it came up short creating a pile-up in the paint. Out of the scrum came Ekiya Gray with a put-back attempt, but it was denied by a block from Bruffey with two seconds left.  The deflection ended up in the hands of Gaddis, who was fouled with just over a second remaining. Gaddis made the first free throw and purposely missed the second. Gray gathered the rebound, but the final horn sounded and LCU celebrated the comeback win.
 
Cunyus' go-ahead bucket was the 14th lead change of the game. The score was tied up 11 occasions (game was tied for nine minutes) and neither team led by more than six points.
 
The largest lead of the game came with 1:01 left in the third quarter, with LCU leading 49-43. Kynese Davis' layup for ASU cut LCU's lead to 49-45 at the end of the quarter, and it started an 8-0 Belles run to take a 51-49 lead. Ekiya Gray made a three-pointer 1:40 into the fourth quarter for a 50-49 lead during the run and it was the last time LCU led until Cunyus' scoring surge late. The Belles largest lead came off a Dezirae Hampton three-pointer with 2:40 to go, placing ASU up 58-53.
 
Nine of the game's lead changes took place in the first quarter. ASU, behind six points each from Daniels and De'Anira Moore, led LCU 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. Daniels connected on a three-pointer in the second quarter to put ASU up 26-21, but LCU responded with a 5-0 run started by Bruffey on an old fashioned three-point play. Hampton closed the half with a three-pointer prior to the horn to tie the game at 35-35 at the half. Daniels led ASU and all scorers with 17 points in the first half.
 
Bruffey was unable to get in sync, shooting 6-of-17 from the field and 0-of-7 from long range, but she still produced a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. She also had five assists and five blocks. LCU was led by 17 points from Maddi Chitsey.
 
LCU was 42.3% (22/52) from the field, with a mark of 16.7% (3/18) from three-point range. The Lady Chaps opened the game missing their first six attempts from three-point range. LCU was 55.9% (19/34) inside the arc and went 6-of-7 inside the arc in the second quarter.
 
ASU was 12-of-21 from the free-throw line (57.1%). Moore, who finished with 16 points, was 6-of-7 from the stripe and Gray was 2-of-2, but the rest of the team went a combined 4-of-12 (33%). Daniels led ASU with 17 points, but was 0-of-4 from the field during the second half.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE MEMBERS
Head Coach Steve Gomez claimed his fourth Coach of the Year honor and his second in the Heartland Conference. Here is a look at the Lady Chaps that claimed All-Conference:
Tess Bruffey: First Team
Maddi Chitsey: Second Team
Caitlyn Cunyus: Second Team
Delaney Gaddis: Honorable Mention
Conference Player of the Year: Tess Bruffey
Conference Defensive Player of the Year: Tess Bruffey
 
ALL-TOURNAMENT (CONFERENCE)
Tess Bruffey claimed Heartland Conference Tournament MVP honors with a tournament average of 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 3.0 assists per game in the tournament. Olivia Robertson also claimed All-Tournament honors with an average of 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.  Delaney Gaddis did not claim any individual honors, but did average 10.7 points and shot .700 (14-of-20) from the field (13-of-15, 86.7%, inside the arc).
 
TITLE TALK
LCU claimed the Heartland Conference regular season title this season. The title is LCU's fifth conference title in program history and the third in the Heartland Conference. LCU has claimed first place for a fourth time since joining the Heartland Conference (LCU was unable to claim the regular season title in 2014-15 due to transitioning to NCAA Division II membership status). Sunday, LCU claimed the Heartland Conference Tournament title, marking their second tournament title in program history (third conference tournament title, if you include their era in the Sooner Athletic Conference). LCU has claimed two Heartland Conference Tournament titles out of their three seasons eligible for Heartland and NCAA postseason.
 
REGIONAL REVIEW
LCU appeared and hosted the South Central Region Tournament in 2016, which was their first NCAA postseason appearance and it was their first year eligible for postseason play. Tess Bruffey claimed Most Outstanding Tournament honors at the South Central Region Tournament averaging 17.3 points a game. She had a LCU season game high 26 points in the title game against West Texas A&M. She was 69.2% from the field and 5-of-10 from three-point range. Haley Fowler and Nicole Hampton also received All-Tournament Team honors. Fowler averaged 17 points shooting 69% from the field and Hampton averaged 16 points, 8.7 assists, 8 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game. LCU is 5-0 all-time in tournament play.
 
CLOSING MOMENTS
Saturday's semifinal game at Rip Griffin Center featured a lot of things that have not been seen at home this season for LCU. LCU trailed at the end of the first quarter for the first time this season and the game closed with the pressure-filled fourth quarter. Caitlyn Cunyus did not have a point in the game until her five-point outburst in the final 30 seconds provided LCU's last points from the field (final point from was from a free-throw from Delaney Gaddis). Inside the last five minutes (of the fourth quarter) at home this season Cunyus is now 2-of-2 from three-point range and her layup to give LCU the lead was her first two-point field goal inside the final five minutes at home this season. Tess Bruffey is 5-of-5 from the field in the final five minutes of games at home this season as well. Due to their 26-point win margin at home, LCU's starters have had limited minutes at home in the fourth quarter. Emma Middleton leads the team inside the last five minutes at home, averaging 2.1 points during the sequence.
 
HOMELAND SECURITY
Regional games inside Rip Griffin Center count as home contests for LCU, who are 15-0 at home this season following Saturday's win. LCU became the 12th team in NCAA Division II women's basketball history to win 47 consecutive home games with their win over Newman Feb. 15 (it actively leads NCAA Div. II).  If LCU extends the streak to 50 (currently at 49), they will become the 10th team to notch 50 straight home wins in NCAA Div. II history.  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.
 
ON THE HOMEFRONT           
LCU is led at home by Tess Bruffey, who averages 14.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.9 blocks at home this season. Maddi Chitsey is not far behind in point production, averaging 13.9 points at home off 53.3% (80-of-150) shooting. LCU is shooting .492 from the field inside Rip Griffin Center, with a mark of .428 from long range. Bobbi Chitsey is 8-of-11 (72.7%) from three-point range at home.
 
MARGINS
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and they rank eighth nationally in scoring margin (average a win margin of 19.7 points per game), and they lead the conference in rebounding margin (30th nationally), with an average of 6.5 more rebounds per game over their opposition.
 
30 in 31
LCU improved their record to 30-1 with their win Saturday over Angelo State. The 30 wins (third highest single-season wins mark in program history) marks the third time in program history the Lady Chaps have hit the 30-win plateau.
 
THAT'S FOUL
LCU ranks 11th nationally in fouls per game with a low of 14.2 fouls per contest (they have the 19th fewest personal fouls overall). The fouls have led to LCU having a 14.3 - 9.5 scoring advantage over their opponents from the free-throw line (14.9 - 8.1 advantage in conference games). Tess Bruffey leads LCU averaging 3.4 points per game from the free-throw line.
 
MILESTONES
Tess Bruffey completed another milestone Friday, overtaking sole possession as the single-season blocks leader in LCU and Heartland Conference history (Currently with 122 blocks). She passed former teammate Kellyn Schneider, who had 113 blocks during the 2014-15 season. Sunday in Tulsa, Bruffey became the fourth Lady Chaps member ever to eclipse 800 career rebounds (now with 827). Bruffey eclipsed 1,700 career points Saturday against ASU and has 1,702 in her career, which ranks sixth all-time in program history. Her five blocks moved her into seventh all-time in NCAA Division II history with 394 career block (passed Aukse Steponaviciute, who had 392 with Abilene Christian from 1994-97). She is six blocks away from 400 in her career.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Updated national rankings came out Tuesday afternoon, and the Lady Chaparrals remained at No.2 in both the D2SIDA and WBCA NCAA Div. II Women's Basketball Top-25 Poll for a seventh consecutive week. The only team they are behind is No.1 Ashland, who is the only team to defeat LCU this season. The No.2 ranking matches their best ranking this season in each poll. The polls were the final polls of the regular season.
 
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks third nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 47.6% from the field. They have shot at least 50% 14 times this season. Their allowance of 52.1 points per game leads in the nation.
 
SENIOR SALUTE
This postseason serves as the final postseason games for LCU's Tess Bruffey, Caitlyn Buttram and Delaney Gaddis. Bruffey and Buttram have spent all four of their seasons as part of the Lady Chaps and Gaddis is in her second season. For Bruffey and Buttram, the two have been part of a 54-2 (96.4%) record in home games and a Heartland Conference record of 59-7 (89.4%) since they joined the Lady Chaps.
 
BLOCKING IT OUT
Tess Bruffey, who ranked second nationally last season in blocks per game (3.9), ranks third in the nation with 122 blocks on the season. Her program and conference single-season record 122 blocks come at a rate of 3.9 per game (fourth nationally). The Lady Chaps, as a team, rank fourth in the nation with 192 blocks. In her career, Bruffey has a program and conference record 392 blocks, marking her as the NCAA Div. II's active career leader (second among all levels) and its the seventh highest rate all-time in NCAA Div. II history (three away from moving into sixth all-time). She also ranks on the NCAA Div. II's active career leader charts in points (1,702, 14th), field goals (622, 11th) and double-doubles (25, 25th). Bruffey is one of five active players with at least 1,700 points and 800 rebounds.   
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WT
• The Lady Buffs are 29-4 overall on the season and finished with a 16-4 conference record in the Lone Star Conference. They advanced to the NCAA postseason after claiming the Lone Star Conference Tournament title. They had wins over Arkansas - Fort Smith and Metro State to advance to Monday's contest.
• WT is making its 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth-straight after reaching the Elite Eight three of the last four seasons and the National Championship game in 2014.  WT is 13-4 in the last four NCAA Tournaments (15-4 if you include this season) and are 37-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with the 37 wins ranking sixth-most all-time in NCAA Division II and ranks fourth-most among active DII institutions.
• A win would not only move WT to South Dakota and the Elite Eight, but it would mark their seventh 30-win season since 1980.
•Four members of the Co-Lone Star Conference Champion Lady Buffs received All-LSC honors. Kristen Mattio picked-up the LSC Coach of the Year honors for the first time in her career as she led the Lady Buffs to their 16th Lone Star Conference Championship. Lexy Hightower was named to the All-LSC First Team, Madison Parke was named to the All-LSC Second Team and Deleyah Harris and Tiana Parker were tabbed Honorable Mention (Parker was also named to the league's All-Defensive Team).
• West Texas entered the tournament ranking second in the nation in field goal percentage (48.6%) and field goal percentage defense (33.0%), third in scoring defense (53.6/game) and fifth in rebounding margin (+10.4).
 
THE SERIES AGAINST WT
LCU and WT are separated by 110 miles, but the two teams have only met two prior times. The first meeting came on Nov. 16, 2001, with WT defeating LCU 90-53. In LCU's 2001-02 season opener. They last met in the South Central Region Championship Game in 2016, with LCU winning 88-68 inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. WT
Mar. 13, 2016 (Lubbock, Texas): LCU 88 - WT 68
Nicole Hampton produced a career high 12 assists and it Tess Bruffey scored 18 points in the first quarter and top-ranked Lubbock Christian University cruised to an 88-68 NCAA Div. II Tournament win over No.9/No.11 West Texas A&M in the South Central Region final at a sold out Rip Griffin Center. The win gives LCU their first region title.
 
Bruffey took the wind out of the Lady Buffs sails early with a big first quarter performance. She was 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from long range in the quarter. The third three-pointer came on a heave banked off the glass with time expiring on a 30-16 first quarter for LCU. The Lady Chaps went on a 15-3 run in the quarter.
 
The Lady Buffs went the first 4:41 of the second quarter without a field goal. The Lady Chaps built as much as a 50-25 lead in the half and took a 50-27 lead into the half. Bruffey matched a career high (22 points) and did it all in the first half.
 
LCU had a string of 10 consecutive field goals made in the second half. They were 70% (7-of-10) from the field in the fourth quarter and finished the second half 13-of-18 (72.2%) from the field. LCU led as much as 73-47 (7:59 remaining in the fourth quarter).
 
The Lady Chaps were 63.8% from the field in the game (30/47). Bruffey had the highest individual point total by a Lady Chaps member this season with 26 points (8-of-10 from the field). LCU also received 18 points from Nicole Hampton, 17 points from Kelsey Hoppel and 16 points from Haley Fowler.
 
Several milestones were achieved, as Fowler became the third active Lady Chaps member to eclipse 1,000 points in her LCU career (sitting with 1,002). Hampton, who had seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals, moved into third all-time on LCU's point list. She has 1,731 career points and moved past Emily Pool into third all-time.
 
LCU and WT are separated by 110 miles, but they had only met one prior time. The Lady Buffs (28-5) were unable to win the region for a third straight season despite 21 points from Sasha Watson. LCU's win over WT marked the Lady Buffs worst loss since a 79-51 loss to Southwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 24, 2012.