LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (11-4, 1-0 Heartland)
at No. 21/22 ST. MARY'S (11-2, 1-0 Heartland)
Thursday, January 12 - 1:00 PM
Bill Greehey Arena (San Antonio, Texas)
Radio: None
All-Time Series: LCU leads 13-3

HUGE MEETING SCHEDULED EARLY IN CONFERENCE PLAY
The Lady Chaps go from facing a program with the worst win percentage (Texas A&M International, who LCU defeated Thursday) to facing No.21/22 St. Mary's, who has the best win percentage (.846) among Heartland Conference squads (11-2 overall record). Both LCU and StMU are 1-0 in conference, as StMU topped St. Edward's 59-57 with a layup by Alexia Torres at the buzzer to avoid the upset. LCU and St. Mary are scheduled to tip-off Saturday at 1 p.m. to close out LCU's opening week of Heartland Conference play. The match pits the top two teams in the Heartland Conference based on win percentage, as LCU enters the game on a four-game win streak and an 11-4 overall record (.733). LCU is 1-1 against ranked opponents this season, falling to No.1 Central Missouri (67-62 on Nov. 24) and defeating NAIA-No.15 Our Lady of the Lake (77-65 on Dec. 1). LCU enters the game with 19 straight conference wins (Feb. 11, 2017 at Arkansas - Fort Smith was their last conference loss).

THURSDAY TRIBUNE
Lubbock Christian University has been plagued by turnovers on the road this season, but things were different in their Heartland Conference opener Thursday night inside Kinesiology and Convocation Building. The Lady Chaps limited themselves to seven turnovers and produced 17 steals en route to an 89-39 victory over Texas A&M International.

LCU, who entered the game being outscored in points-off-turnovers by an average of 25.2-12.2 in road games, had a 21-7 advantage in turnovers leading to them to outscore TAMIU 26-10 in points-off-turnovers.

All 13 Lady Chaps figured into the scoring, with four players producing double figures in points. Duncan led LCU with a career-high 12 points, marking the first time the sophomore has led LCU in scoring. Olivia Robertson and Bobbi Chitsey each had 11 points and Juliana Robertson contributed 10 points, marking the second time this season the Robertson sisters have each hit double figures in points. The Lady Chaps had 54 points off the bench, outscoring TAMIU 54-4 in bench scoring. The dominating numbers also included LCU outscoring TAMIU 44-22 in paint scoring and 18-7 in second chance scoring off the assistance of 14 offensive rebounds (38-23 overall advantage in rebounds).

TAMIU, LCU's second sub-.500 opponent faced in the past 10 games, remained winless on the season (0-13) and they fell for a 15th straight time (13th straight home loss). Ciera Walker (12 points) and Christine Ortega (11 points) led TAMIU in the loss. They were held to 28% (14/50) from the field and 18.2% (2/11) from long range.

LCU held TAMIU to 39 points matching a season best for fewest points allowed (allowed 39 points on Nov. 17 against Texas Permian Basin). Their offensive output (89 points) was a season high (highest since scoring 95 against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 7, 2017) and the 50-point was their highest win margin since a 53-point win (109-56) on Feb. 20, 2016 at Texas-Permian Basin.

With this season serving as the final season of the Heartland Conference, LCU closed their record to 5-1 in Heartland Conference openers. The Lady Chaps improved to 14-2 all-time in conference openers under head coach Gomez, and they have won 13 of their last 14 consecutive conference openers.

STOLE THE SHOW
Thursday, the Lady Chaps produced 17 steals, which was the most by the Lady Chaps since producing 18 steals Dec. 31, 2015 against Oklahoma Panhandle State and the most on the road since 17 swipes on Jan. 5, 2013 at St. Gregory's. Matching the feat LCU achieved on Dec. 31, 2015, the Lady Chaps had at least one steal from 10 different players. Allie Schulte matched a career high with five steals and both games have come against TAMIU. LCU's 17 steals tied for the second-highest total by the Lady Chaps under head coach Steve Gomez, who is in his 16th season coaching the Lady Chaps. On the flip side, LCU produced a season low of seven turnovers, which were the fewest since Feb. 1, 2018 at St. Mary's.

NO FOUL PLAY
The Lady Chaps rank 17th in the nation in fouls per game, with a conference-leading average of 14.8 fouls per game. Fouls have led LCU to outscoring their opponents 13.5 – 10.5 in points a game from the free-throw line. The Lady Chaps have shot over 80% from the free-throw line in seven games this season and rank 36^th nationally with a conference-leading mark of 74.6% on the season. Olivia Robertson leads the team (of qualified attempts), shooting 83.3% (55/66) from the line to rank third in the conference. 

FROM THE FIELD
Lubbock Christian continues to rank in the top-20 nationally in shooting, ranking 15th nationally with a 46.3% field goal shooting percentage. LCU has shot at least 41.9% in all but three games this season and have hit the .500 plateau on three occasions. They are shooting 46.2% this season in road contests.

SISTER CHRISTIAN
On Nov.10, CSU-Pueblo marked the first time in LCU program history in which a pair of sisters tallied double figures, as LCU received double-digit point production from Olivia 
Robertson, Juliana Robertson, Bobbi Chitsey and Maddi Chitsey. LCU has three sisters on the squad, and Dec. 8 marked the first game this season in which all three sets of sisters played in the same game. Thursday marked the first time all six sisters contributed at least a point in the same contest.
 
TUNING IN
NCAA announced Thursday that Lubbock Christian University will have their men's and women's basketball teams included in this season's NCAA Division II Hoops Showcase of games, with their home games Thursday, Jan. 17, against Rogers State, featured on ESPN3. To adjust for the ESPN3 stream, tip-off times have changed to 5:30 p.m. (women) and 7:30 p.m. (men) inside Rip Griffin Center.

The doubleheaders carried by ESPN3 marks the third season in which LCU has had a doubleheader of basketball carried by a national media carrier (all were part of the NCAA Division II Hoops Showcase), and it marks the second time Rip Griffin Center has hosted games part of the Hoops Showcase. The last time LCU was part of the Hoops Showcase was during the 2016-17 season, as they welcomed the American Sports Network for games against Texas A&M International on Feb. 2. The games on Jan. 17 will mark the third time a national media carrier has covered an LCU men's basketball game and the sixth time the women's basketball team has been covered.

Dave Armstrong, a familiar name to Big 12 basketball broadcasts, will serve as the play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN3, with former Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) head basketball coach Rich Zvosec serving as analyst for LCU's contest with Rogers State. ESPN3 is making their second visit to LCU and their first for basketball. The Worldwide Leader in Sports visited LCU in May to cover the LCU and Arkansas-Fort Smith Heartland Conference baseball series. The LCU women's basketball team last appeared on ESPN3 during the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship Game in March of 2016 in Tulsa, Okla.

LENDING A HELPING HAND
LCU has four players with at least an average of 2.0 assists per game. Allie Schulte leads the team with 51 assists (3.4 per game), with Olivia Robertson (35, 2.3), Bobbi Chitsey (2.1) and Caitlyn Cunyus (2.6) also playing a role in the ball distribution. LCU averages 15.2 assists (third in the Heartland Conference) on 24.7 field goals per game. LCU has 228 assists (second in conference), ranking 29th nationally in the category.

ROAD JOURNAL
The Lady Chaps are 2-3 in true road games this season, winning their prior two road tests. Olivia Robertson leads LCU in away contests with average of 19.6 points per game. Maddi Chitsey also averages double figures in points away from home (10.4). LCU had been plagued by turnovers on the road. Prior to their Dec. 17 victory at Western Washington, LCU had committed 71 turnovers (23.7 per game) and had been outscored 91-26 in points-off-turnovers on the road. (an average of 30.3 - 8.7 per road game). Since then, in their last two road games, they have a forced their opponents into 48 turnovers (24.0 per game) and have limited themselves to 22 turnovers (11 per game), which has them outscoring opponents 49-20 in points-off-turnovers in the span (average of 24.5–10.0 per game). Combining all road games this season, LCU has committed 93 turnovers (18.6 per game) and have been outscored 111-75 in points-off-turnovers (an average of 22.2 - 15.0 per road game).

WHAT ABOUT BOBBI
Bobbi Chitsey has had the recent hot-hand for the Lady Chaps.  Chitsey, who averaged 5.3 points per game over a six-game stretch prior to Dec. 8, is averaging 14.4 points per game in the past five games (beginning Dec. 8). She has led LCU in scoring in two of the last three games. On Dec. 18 against Simon Fraser, she produced an 8-of-9 shooting performance, which was the sixth-best shooting performance (field goal percentage) by a Lady Chap since the 2009-10 season. The last time a Lady Chap had as hot of a hand as Chitsey was on Feb. 19, 2015, as Bailey Haist was 9-of-10 from the field against St. Edward's.

ON THE PLUS SIDE
Thursday, all 13 Lady Chaps participated and all played at least 10 minutes, with Caitlyn Cunyus serving as the only player to play more than 20 minutes, playing 20:36. In addition, each of the 13 players had at least a +10 in plus/minus. Cunyus led the way with a +26, with Madelyn Turner, Olivia Robertson and Maddi Chitsey each achieving a +25.

BOARD GAMES
The Lady Chaps rank seventh in the Heartland Conference in rebounds per game (33.5), but they lead the Heartland Conference in rebounding margin with a mark of 4.9. Olivia Robertson leads LCU with 96 rebounds (6.4 per game). LCU has only been out-rebounded once over the prior 12 games.

DOWNTOWN
The Lady Chaps rank 24th nationally with 116 three-pointers on the season and is eighth with a shooting mark of 39.7% from long range. Allie Schulte is in the top-10 nationally, hitting three-pointers at a pace of 51.9% on the season (27/52), with 27 three-pointers ranking fifth in the conference.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT STMU
- St. Mary's is 11-2 on the season and opened Heartland Conference play Thursday with a 59-57 buzzer-beating win over St. Edward's. The win in Austin, Texas was the Rattlers third straight win. They are 4-0 at home and have won seven straight games at home carrying over from last season (they went 7-5 at home last season).
- The Rattlers went 16-13 last season, with a 9-5 record in the Heartland Conference. They opened this season with a No.2 preseason ranking, with one first-place vote.
- StMU forces their opponents to shoot 36.5% from the field, which leads the Heartland Conference. Opponents have been held under 39% shooting in the Rattlers last four contests.
- The two squads have seen much of each other, although Saturday marks their first encounter. StMU was in Lubbock for the Arbor Hotels Classic (Nov. 17 – 18), where they played Western New Mexico and Texas Permian Basin, and the following week LCU appeared in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic, where the two programs played Kutztown and Central Missouri. St. Mary's produced a 101-97 double-overtime win over then-No.1 ranked Central Missouri.
- Texas State transfer Kaitlin Walla ranks fifth nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.5), ranking seventh with a total of 45 on the season.

THE SERIES AGAINST STMU
LCU leads the all-times series 13-3 over StMU. LCU is 10-2 against the Rattlers since joining the Heartland. LCU swept the season series last season and has won four straight meetings following a 64-39 win on Feb.1 in San Antonio.

PREVIOUS MEETING VS. STMU
February 1, 2018 (San Antonio, Texas): LCU 64 - StMU 39
No.2 Lubbock Christian University outscored St. Mary's University 24-4 in points off turnovers and Tess Bruffey chipped in 18 points to lead the Lady Chaparrals to a 64-39 Heartland Conference road win Thursday evening at Bill Greehey Arena.
 
LCU cruised from the start, opening the game on a 7-0 run, with Bruffey opening the game 4-of-4 from the field and leading LCU with nine points in the opening quarter. StMU did not receive their first field goal until 2:29 into the opening quarter. One of Bruffey's four first quarter field goals came with 4:39 left in the quarter to put LCU up 15-6, before StMU responded with a 6-0 run to cut the LCU to 15-12. Twenty seconds later, Bobbi Chitsey nailed a three-pointer and helped LCU go on an 8-0 run.  Six of the eight points closed out the opening quarter for a 21-12 lead heading into the second quarter.  The Rattlers responded with another 6-0 run, cutting the LCU lead to 26-20 with 5:26 left in the second quarter, but they would hit a wall. LCU went on a 9-0 run highlighted with another Chitsey three-pointer.  Chitsey had five points in the quarter and ended the half co-leading the Lady Chaps (with Bruffey) with 10 points to help LCU to a 35-22 halftime lead. LCU had a 16-4 advantage in points off turnovers in the first half.
 
The Lady Chaps opened the second half 0-of-7 from the field and did not received their first field goal of the half until Delaney Gaddis' layup 5:21 into the third quarter. StMU had opened the half on a 6-0 run, but once LCU ended the Rattlers run, they never looked back. LCU, hitting four straight shots after opening the half 0-of-7 from the field, outscored the Rattlers 29-11 over the final 16:04 of the game. Included in the offensive sure for LCU was a 13-5 run capped by a jumper from Chitsey to put LCU up 48-33 with 1:50 left in the third quarter. Bruffey registered five points in the third quarter to give LCU a 48-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter. StMU was 2-of-13 (15.4%) from the field in the fourth quarter. LCU was 6-of-9 inside the arc in the fourth quarter and 7-of-12 (58.3%) overall in the final frame. LCU closed the game on a 14-2 run.
 
Bruffey led all scorers with 18 points. She also added a team leading four rebounds and contributed a season high six assists. Chitsey (12 points) and Olivia Robertson (10 points) joined Bruffey in double figures. Soteria Banks (11 points) and Hannah Wilson (10 points) led the St. Mary's offense.