No. 5-SEED ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY (18-10, 9-7) 
vs. No. 4-SEED LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (13-14, 9-7)
Friday, March 2 – 12 PM
Union Multipurpose Activity Center (Tulsa, Okla.)
All-Time Series: RSU leads 16-8


 
BEST OF THREE
The prep work is complete and the squad is locked in, as Lubbock Christian University opens their 2018 post season contention Friday afternoon against Rogers State University at Union Multipurpose Activity Center in Tulsa, Okla. The Chaparrals have the opportunity to grab the season's best-of-three series against RSU, after splitting with the Hillcats over the course of the regular season. The home team came out on top in the two regular season meetings.

A LOOK AT THEIR LAST GAME
AUSTIN, Texas (February 24, 2018) – The road has not been kind to Lubbock Christian University who dropped their final regular season contest Saturday afternoon in Austin, Texas against St. Edward's University. The Chaparrals were upended by the Hilltoppers in an 84-76 result where LCU senior Marcos Schuster finished with a team-high 23 points for the second consecutive contest.
 
LCU jumped out quick to an early four-point lead over the Hilltoppers after a triple by Schuster put the Chaps up early 15-11. Over the next three minutes, St. Edward's pulled even at 19-19 with 10:13 left in the half. Schuster responded with back-to-back buckets that sparked an 11-4 scoring run that featured a trio of Chap three-pointers. LCU was held to six points over the final five minutes of the opening half. Though the Chaparrals finished the period shooting 53.3% (16-for-30) from the field, St. Edward's managed to even up the score at 36-36 heading into the halftime break.
 
Schuster burst onto the scene with some hot-handed shooting in the period knocking down a pair of three-pointers while going 5-for-8 from the field for 12 points. Fowler followed right behind with 10 points of his own on 5-of7 shooting. Shockingly, the Chaps were unable to convert from the free throw line in the half marking the first period without a made free throw since an 0-for-1 second half clip against Washburn University last season (Nov. 26, 2016). Rashaan Proctor recorded a season-high for himself in the first half alone with six rebounds to lead the Lubbock Christian squad to a 22-13 advantage on the boards over St. Edward's. Of LCU's 36 points in the opening 20 minutes, 34 came from their starting five.
 
Corey Shervill opened up the second period with consecutive baskets to help the Hilltoppers to a 7-1 run over LCU. Fowler tacked on a pair of mid-range jumpers for the Chaps before Schuster once again hit a trey to give Lubbock Christian their only lead of the second half at 44-43. The edge was short-lived for the Chaparrals as SEU responded with seven unanswered points over the next two minutes. A layup by Schuster pulled Lubbock Christian within two-points of the Hilltoppers, but that would be as close as they would come for the remainder of the contest. St. Edward's closed out the match with an 84-76 win over the LCU squad.
 
Schuster added in 11 more points over the final period helping Lubbock Christian to another stellar shooting performance for a team average of 57.7% (15-of-26) from the field. Lubbock Christian's defense had issues containing the SEU attack that registered a 64% field goal average in the second half. Landon Goesling went off for the Hliltoppers with 18 points of his own over the final 20 minutes.
 
Schuster's 23-point explosion for the game came on a trio of three-pointers and 60% field goal shooting (9-for-15). Brennen Fowler joined Schuster in double-scoring figures finishing the contest with 17 points. Isaac Asrat notched 12 points of his own while shooting 5-for-8 from the floor. Proctor reached new heights for himself falling just shy of a double-double performance with 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Lubbock Christian's inability to record a free throw in the opening period goes further than just made free throws. The Chaps were unable to even attempt a shot from the stripe, a feat that had not been performed since the first half of an 81-79 loss to Newman in the opening round of the 2016 Heartland Conference Tournament (Mar. 4, 2016).
 
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
LCU is coming off of a lofty appearance at the 2017-18 Heartland Conference postseason recognition ceremony. At the event, the Chaps were granted three All-Conference honorees (Brennen Fowler, Marcos Schuster and Isaac Asrat) tying with Dallas Baptist and Arkansas - Fort Smith for most players receiving honors. Schuster and Asrat were named All-Heartland Honorable Mention, while Fowler shined with First Team All-Heartland accolades as well as being named Heartland Conference Defender of the Year.
 
DEJA VU
The Chaps and Hillcats met in the opening round of the Heartland Conference Tournament just one year ago. After losing both regular season contests to RSU last season, Lubbock Christian was able to rattle off an 84-69 victory in the conference tournament quarterfinal match.
 
OPENING UP POSTSEASON PLAY
Friday's contest marks the Chaparrals third season of postseason eligibility since becoming full members of the Heartland Conference. In all three years since, LCU has made their way into postseason tournaments, but not necessarily with the results to match their ranking.
 
In the 2015-16 season, the Chaps were deemed the No. 2-Seed before falling to a 7-seeded Newman University in an 81-79 battle (Mar. 4, 2016).
 
Despite their first-round loss to the Jets, head coach Todd Duncan and his squad still found their way into the 2016 South Central Regional Tournament as the No. 8-seed. Their regional tournament bid matched them up against host school and top-seeded Midwestern State University. The Chaps stepped up to the occasion and took down the Mustangs by way of a 79-73 overtime result (Mar. 12, 2016).
 
Flash forward one year for the 2016-17 postseason, the Chaparrals once again qualified for the Heartland Tournament, but as a 5-seed. LCU found themselves with their backs against the wall and answered the call pulling out the victory over the 5-seed Rogers State (Mar. 3, 2017).
 
NEUTRALIZED
LCU has seemingly struggled on the road this season, chalking up a 3-9 away record and a 3-11 record when factoring in neutral site contests. Though Friday's game will technically serve as a neutral site game, the Chaps will still have their work cut out for them against RSU who is only traveling 27 miles from their home arena. Lubbock Christian has averaged 70.1 points per game on the road, totaling 10.8 points per game less than their performances inside Rip Griffin Center. 
 
BREAKING THE STREAK
Lubbock Christian has found themselves in a hole over their past two matches. Though they are riding a two-game losing streak, fortune may be on the Chaps side as they have yet to lose more than two Heartland Conference matches in a row this season.
 
RSU FACTS
- Rogers State closed out their regular season winning three of their final four contests.
- The Hillcats landed a pair of players on the All-Heartland Conference ballot, led by Baron Smith Jr., who was named to the First Team. Saint Hilaire was named All-Conference Honorable Mention.
- Smith Jr. has been the motor of the RSU offense on the season, averaging 15.9 points per game on 45.1% shooting from the field and a 43.4% clip from beyond the arc.
- Rogers State's defense has been especially stingy throughout the season ranking second in the conference for scoring defense. The Hillcats are allowing 68.9 points per contest from their opposition. 
- RSU has managed a 40.8% team average from three-point range on the year. Their ability to shoot the three-ball ranks them 14^th nationally for team three-point field goal percentage.

RIVALRY AGAINST RSU
Rogers State has been a particularly tough opponent for LCU who have found themselves on the wrong end of a 16-8 series record. Of the 24 meetings in the series, the home team has won 16 times. There has only been one neutral site matchup and the Chaps came out on top in that meeting during the 2017 postseason. Lubbock Christian took the most recent meeting in Lubbock, Texas by way of an 81-70 performance inside Rip Griffin Center.

PRIOR MEETING WITH RSU
LUBBOCK, Texas (February 10, 2018) – Payback was the name of the game for Lubbock Christian University, aiming to even the regular season series, as the Chaparrals cruised to an 81-70 Heartland Confernce win over Rogers State University inside Rip Griffin Center. Brennen Fowler led four Chaparral players in double-scoring figures with 18 points and eight rebounds.
 
After Rogers State opened up the match with four straight points, senior Marcos Schuster took matters into his own hands knocking down three consecutive triples. Schuster's hot-hand pushed the Chaps to 13 unanswered points. It was not until the eighth minute that the Hillcats were able to break into double-digits, but by that point Lubbock Christian had doubled the Hillcats score to take a 20-10 lead. Four minutes later, Fowler threw down a dunk capping a 12-4 scoring run for the Chaparrals and extending their lead to 18 points. Rogers State was able to knock the LCU lead down to 12 with 2:23 left in the half, but the Chaps were able to find their footing and take a 45-31 advantage at the break.
 
Schuster's 11 points and three treys pushed the Chaps to a 50% (7-for-14) three-point shooting average for the half. Three LCU players were perfect from the field to lead the Lubbock Christian squad to an astonishing 64% (16-for-25) field goal mark. The Chaparral defense swarmed the Hillcats forcing them into a 38.7% average from the field and just one three-pointer throughout the entire first period. LCU also dismantled Rogers State on the glass with a 19-10 rebounding advantage.
 
The Hillcats hit back-to-back buckets to open up the second period and cut the Lubbock Christian lead to a nine-point margin. Isaac Asrat put RSU's momentum to rest after marching down the floor and knocking down a triple to put the Chaps back up 48-36. LCU then put up a four-minute stretch in which eight of their 12 points came from the free throw line. With 4:46 remaining, Fowler slipped a pocket pass to Asrat who missed on a layup. Fortunately, Fowler followed up on the rebound for a put-back dunk that gave the Chaparrals a 74-58 lead. From that point on, Lubbock Christian scored their final seven points from the free throw line to seal the game with an 81-70 victory.
 
LCU cooled down to a 36% (9-of-25) second-half shooting mark but were able to compensate with an 88.2% (15-of-17) outing from the free throw line. Fowler netted seven field goals for the day to lead the Chaps to a 50% (25-for-50) shooting average. Asrat lead the charge from beyond the arc drilling five of Lubbock Christian's 10 three-pointers for the contest.