ROGERS STATE (8-7, 1-1 Heartland)
at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (12-4, 2-0 Heartland)
Thursday, January 17 - 5:30 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: None
TV: ESPN3 (Dave Armstrong, Rich Zvosec)
All-Time Series: LCU leads 18-5
Tweet #HeartlandWBB | Tweet #LCUvsRSU | Tweet ##D2Hoops

TIME FOR A SHOWCASE
Lubbock Christian University had a tremendous start to their Heartland Conference schedule, garnering a 50-point (89-39 at Texas A&M International) and a 33-point (75-42 at No.21/22 St. Mary's) road win last week for a 2-0 start in Heartland Conference play. The wins extend their Heartland Conference win streak to 20 consecutive games, as they return to Rip Griffin Center for their first Heartland Conference home games of the season. LCU opens the week hosting Rogers State Thursday (5:30 p.m.) before welcoming Arkansas – Fort Smith Saturday (1 p.m.). Thursday's game is part of the NCAA Division II Hoop Showcase and will air on ESPN3. The Lady Chaps enter the week as the only 2-0 squad in the Heartland Conference and one of two unbeaten teams in conference play. LCU has won their last five games despite one home game in the mix.

SATURDAY SUMMARY
Ashton Duncan knocked down five three-pointers and Lubbock Christian University converted on 14 three-point attempts, the most in a road game under 16th-year head coach Steve Gomez, as they cruised to a 75-42 Heartland Conference victory over No.21/22 St. Mary's University Saturday afternoon inside Bill Greehey Arena.

The Lady Chaps offense had no problems against the Rattlers defense, which entered the game leading the Heartland Conference holding opponents to a 36.5% shooting mark on the season. LCU was 27-of-56 (48.2%) from the field and went 14-of-27 (52.9%) from three-point range, marking the third time this season over half of the team's field goals were made beyond the arc and the fourth time this season they have made over 50% of their three-point attempts (in games of at least 10 attempts).

The Lady Chaps 14 three-pointers was the second highest total in a game this season, behind a mark of 16 against Texas-Permian Basin inside Rip Griffin Center (Nov. 17). Seven different Lady Chaps hit from long distance, with Chitsey (3) and Caitlyn Cunyus (2) joining Duncan with more than one in the game. Olivia Robertson, missing a double-double with nine rebounds, finished with 16 points and Chitsey also chipped in 12 points to help LCU's offensive cause.

St. Mary's, who ended a three-game win streak, suffered their first home loss of the season (4-1) and it was behind a 32.1% (17/53) shooting performance. They were 2-of-7 (28.6%) from three-point range, which was their lowest three-point production of the season. The Rattlers were without a player in double figures in points, as they fell to 11-4 on the season and dropped to 1-1 in conference.

Turnovers favored LCU again on the road, as their 14-10 advantage in the category led to LCU out-scoring StMU 17-7 in points-off-turnovers.

ON THE PLUS SIDE
Saturday at StMU, Bobbi Chitsey recorded a plus/minus of +33 Saturday. The mark is the highest plus/minus mark by a Lady Chaps member this season, topping a +32 by Kailin Davis on Nov. 17 against Texas - Permian Basin. It is also the highest plus/minus mark in a single game since Maddi Chitsey notched a +35 in 20 minutes of play on Feb. 10, 2018.

NO FOUL PLAY
The Lady Chaps rank 15th in the nation in fouls per game, with a conference-leading average of 14.6 fouls per game. Fouls have led LCU to outscoring their opponents 13.1 – 10.2 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 mark of 74.5% on the season (second in the Heartland Conference). Olivia Robertson leads the team (of qualified attempts), shooting 84.1% (58/69) from the line to rank second in the conference. 
 
SLAM DUNC-AN
Ashton Duncan, the daughter of LCU men's basketball head coach Todd Duncan, led LCU in scoring during their opening week of Heartland Conference play, averaging 14.5 points a game, with all points from the field off 52.4% (11/21) shooting. She was 7-of-16 from three-point range (43.8%). Duncan topped career high performances in each game, scoring 12 points at TAMIU and following with a 17-point outing at StMU. The sophomore posted five three-pointers at StMU, with four tallied in the second quarter alone, helping LCU claim the road upset and record 14 three-pointers. Duncan, who also had a block, steal and two assists on the week, had tallied seven points in the combined six prior games heading into the week. She became the first Lady Chaps member to hit five three-pointers in a game this season and it is the most since Tess Bruffey made six three-pointers against Southwestern Oklahoma State (Dec. 7, 2017). Duncan was 6-of-10 from the field Saturday, going 5-of-9 from long range. the highest single-game total of three-pointers made since Bailey Haist nailed eight three-pointers on Jan. 2, 2017 at Texas A&M International.

FROM THE FIELD
Lubbock Christian continues to rank in the top-20 nationally in shooting, ranking 16th nationally with a 46.4% 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 46.4% this season in home contests.

SISTER CHRISTIAN
On Nov.10, the Lady Chaps game against 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. Last Thursday, at TAMIU, marked the first time all six sisters contributed at least a point in the same contest.
 
TUNING IN
Both LCU's basketball teams (men's and women's) will have their games Thursday as part of the NCAA Division II Hoops Showcase of games, with the games aired on ESPN3.

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 54 assists (3.4 per game), with Caitlyn Cunyus (2.5), Olivia Robertson (38, 2.4) and Bobbi Chitsey (2.0) also playing a role in the ball distribution. LCU averages 15.3 assists (third in the Heartland Conference) on 24.8 field goals per game. LCU has 244 assists (leads conference), ranking 27th nationally in the category.

HOMELAND SECURITY
LCU completed their home schedule going 16-0 last season and are 7-0 at home this season. They are the seventh team in NCAA Division II women's basketball history to win 57 consecutive home games with their win over Eastern New Mexico on Dec. 31 (it actively leads NCAA Div. II). If LCU extends the streak to 58, they would become the sixth team in NCAA Division II history to hit the plateau. 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.

WHAT ABOUT BOBBI
Bobbi Chitsey has been in a scoring rhythm for the Lady Chaps.  Chitsey, who averaged 5.3 points per game over a six-game stretch prior to Dec. 8, is averaging 14.0 points per game in the past six games (beginning Dec. 8). She has led LCU in scoring in two of the last four games.

HOME COURT
LCU is 7-0 inside Rip Griffin Center this season. The Lady Chaps have been led in scoring at home by Olivia Robertson (13.7 points per game), who is one of three Lady Chaps averaging double figures at home this season (Allie Schulte 12.6, Maddi Chitsey 10.4). Robertson also averages 7.4 rebounds at home this season. LCU has a 67-37 advantage in three-pointers this season at home, with Allie Schulte knocking down three-pointers at a rate of 53.6% (15/28) and Madelyn Turner 5-of-5 from long range at home this season.
 
HAVING HEART
Thursday serves as LCU's first conference home game of the season. The Lady Chaps 2-0 start in conference has been led by Ashton Duncan, who is averaging 14.5 points per conference game. She is joined in double figures in points, in conference play, by Olivia Robertson (13.5) and Bobbi Chitsey (11.5). LCU has a 35-17 advantage in turnovers in conference contests, leading to a 43-17 scoring advantage in points-off-turnovers. The Lady Chaps are shooting 48.8% from the field in conference and shooting 45.1% from three-point range, with a 23-4 advantage in three-pointers. Opponents are 30.1% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range. LCU's defense has a 24-4 advantage in steals in conference games, with Allie Schulte leading the team with eight (4.0 per game).
 
ADDING THE NUMBERS
Lubbock Christian women's basketball head coach Steve Gomez will eclipse a milestone this week inside Rip Griffin Center. Thursday's game marks his 499^th career game and Saturday will serve as his 500^th game to coach the Lady Chaparrals. Gomez, the former Chaparral cager in his 16^th career season, enters the week with an all-time coach record of 377-121 (75.7%).   

BOARD GAMES
The Lady Chaps rank seventh in the Heartland Conference in rebounds per game (33.6, which ranks 277^th of 301 Division II programs), but they lead the Heartland Conference in rebounding margin with a mark of 4.7. Olivia Robertson leads LCU with 105 rebounds (6.6 per game). LCU has only been out-rebounded once over the prior 13 games.

DOWNTOWN
The Lady Chaps rank 16th nationally with 130 three-pointers on the season and is second with a shooting mark of 40.8% from long range. Allie Schulte is in the top-10 nationally, hitting three-pointers at a pace of 51.9% on the season (28/54), with 28 three-pointers ranking fifth in the conference.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT RSU
- Rogers State is 8-7 on the season and went 1-1 in their opening week of Heartland Conference play. Their win came Saturday at home against Arkansas – Ft. Smith (71-65). They are 1-3 this season on the road, with a 78-74 win at Oklahoma Baptist (Nov. 24) serving as their lone road win of the season.
- The Hillcats went 10-17 last season, with a 5-9 record in the Heartland Conference. They opened this season with a No.7 preseason ranking in the conference preseason poll.
- Thursday's game will mark Rogers State's final trip to Rip Griffin Center as a conference opponent.  RSU and LCU each made the transition from NAIA and the Sooner Athletic Conference to NCAA Division II and the Heartland Conference, but RSU will has announced plans to move to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) despite originally joining with LCU to move to the Lone Star Conference next season.
- RSU leads the Heartland Conference in turnovers forced, with 18.7 turnovers forced per game. On Nov. 17, they forced Ecclesia into 29 turnovers.
- Lauren Schuldt ranks 23^rd nationally with a conference-best 33 blocks this season (2.2 per game). She has had at least one block in all 15 games this season and has a streak of 18 straight games with at least one block.

THE SERIES AGAINST RSU
LCU has an 18-5 advantage in the all-time series after sweeping the series last season by a combined score of 152-76 (LCU won 82-38 on Feb. 10, 2018 in Lubbock and 70-38 on Jan. 10, 2018 in Claremore, Okla.). LCU has won 14 of the last 15 meetings (RSU has one win in the series since 2010-2011 season), including the last 11. RSU's last win was a 78-70 win on Feb. 14, 2013. LCU is 9-2 all-time in Lubbock in the series.

PREVIOUS MEETING VS. RSU
Feb. 10, 2018 (Lubbock, Texas): LCU 82 - RSU 38
No.2 LCU clinched at least a share of the Heartland Conference regular season title, as the Lady Chaparrals connected on 13 three-pointers at a 61.9% rate to defeat Rogers State 82-38 inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
LCU opened the game with a 4-0 lead and led 7-2, following a three-pointer from Caitlyn Cunyus, but Rogers State rallied in the quarter with a 5-0 run and led LCU 11-10 with 3:15 left in the quarter. Bobbi Chitsey changed things for LCU, closing out the remainder of the quarter on a 4-0 run and it ignited a 12-0 LCU run. LCU went 5-of-5 from the field during the run and held RSU off the scoreboard for a span of 4:53. The Hillcats were without a field goal for a seven-minute span. Their dry spell ended on a three-pointer from Desiree Nelson with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter to end LCU's 17-1 run. LCU held RSU to 16.7% (3/18) shooting in the second quarter (13.3%, 2/15, inside the arc). Meanwhile, LCU was 4-of-7 from three-point range in the quarter, with Kailin Davis connecting on two of the three pointers.  Davis was one of five Lady Chaps with six points at the half, as Cunyus, Olivia Robertson, Tess Bruffey and Chitsey joined Davis to account for 30 of LCU's 34 points in the half, as LCU led 34-19 at the break. Defensively, LCU had seven blocks in the first half, with Bruffey producing five of the blocks.
 
The Lady Chaps scoring bonanza continued in the second half, as 68.8% (11/16) shooting from the field led to LCU outscoring RSU 29-10 in the third quarter. They were 9-of-12 (75%) inside the arc and 2-of-4 (50%) outside the arc. Maddi Chitsey exploded for 12 points in the quarter off 4-of-5 shooting. LCU's 29 points in the quarter matched a season high for points in a quarter (29 in third quarter against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 7, 2017) and was one off their program record of 30 (Mar. 13, 2016 vs. West Texas A&M). 
 
LCU went to their bench for most of the fourth quarter, as they entered the quarter leading 63-29. Madelyn Turner made use of her time on the floor, as the freshman was 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point range for a career high 11 points. LCU outscored RSU 19-9 in the fourth quarter.
 
The Lady Chaps shot 66.7% (18/27) from the field and 63.6% (7/11) in the second half. LCU completed the game 54.7% (29/53) from the field and 13-of-21 (61.9%) from three-point range.  They also went 11-of-12 (91.7%) from the free-throw line for a second consecutive time against RSU this season. Maddi Chitsey led LCU with 14 points. Cunyus (12 points) and Turner (11 points) also finished in double figures offensively for LCU. The Lady Chaps committed five turnovers in the first quarter, but limited their turnovers to four for the remainder of the game for a total of nine.  RSU, held to 22.4% (13/58) shooting mark from the field (10-of-46, 21.7%, inside the arc), was led by Lauren Schuldt, who registered 10 points.