LUBBOCK, Texas (January 31, 2019) – Bobbi Chitsey knocked down a career-high four three-pointers and led four Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals in double figures with 20 points, and LCU was able to use the free-throw line to their advantage in a 66-58 Heartland Conference victory over Newman Thursday night. The win inside Rip Griffin Center marked LCU's 60^th straight home victory and they improved to 46-0 all-time at home in Heartland Conference play, with their 52^nd straight conference home win.
 
Opening the fourth quarter with a 43-41 lead, LCU opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run, which was part of an 8-0 run carrying over from the third quarter and started off by an Allie Schulte lay up as time expired in the third quarter. Newman's Bria DeGrate had an opportunity to end the LCU run with a pair of free-throws, but she missed both. It was part an 8-of-15 shooting performance from the line by the Jets in the fourth quarter. Faith Mason-Vestal also missed a pair of free-throws with 2:24 left and LCU clinging to a 55-51 lead. LCU went on an 8-2 run to put the game out of reach from the Jets, who missed five of their final eight free-throw attempts in the game. Meanwhile, LCU was 15-of-18 (83.3%) from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, with Olivia Robertson converting on all eight three-point attempts during the quarter. 
 
Chitsey was 7-of-9 from the field in her 20-point performance. The senior was 5-of-5 from the field in the first half with 14 points, converting on all four of her three-point attempts in the half. Her first three-pointer helped overcome a 12-9 deficit and LCU took a 14-12 lead into the second quarter. There were seven lead changes in the first half, and the final change of the half took place in the final minute of the half, as Chitsey knocked down back-to-back three-pointers in the final 51 seconds of the half to give LCU  27-24 halftime lead.
 
The sister-tandem of Bobbi and Maddi Chitsey (2-of-3) were a combined 7-of-8 (87.5%) from the field in the first half, while the remainder of the team was a combined 3-of-14 (21.4%) from the field.
 
LCU balanced out their scoring in a second half LCU never trailed. Chitsey's two three-pointers to close out the first half led to a 14-2 LCU run to take a 35-26 lead with 6:39 left in the third quarter. Newman rallied from the deficit, receiving a trio of three-pointers from Kaitlyn Potter in the quarter. Her last of the quarter completed an 11-4 run to pull within two (39-37) with 2:08 left in the quarter. Mason-Vestal made a pair of free-throws with 25 seconds left in the quarter to tie the contest 41-41, before Schulte's scoring drive down the right baseline with time expiring to regain the Lady Chaps lead. Newman was 5-of-6 from the free-throw line before the final quarter.  
 
LCU's bench, averaging 29.0 points per game in conference, produced a season-low three points.  The starters carried the weight, as all five had at least seven points. Robertson scored all her 14 points in the second half, and the Lady Chaps also received 12 points from Allie Schulte and 10 points from Maddi Chitsey. Bobbi Chitsey also had a game-high six rebounds, two blocks and co-led the game in assists (4).
 
Newman was led off the bench by Kaitlyn Potter (12 points), who combined for 23 points off the bench alongside Haley Albers (11 points). Abbey George also had 11 points in the loss for the Jets, who fell to 3-3 in conference and 12-8 overall.  
 
The Lady Chaps, behind their 10^th consecutive win, take a sizable lead atop the Heartland Conference standings with a 7-0 record (halfway mark of conference play). LCU, 18-4 overall, has a three-game lead in first place with seven games remaining.
 
TURNING POINT
Newman could have bailed themselves out of some cold shooting in the fourth quarter with points from the free-throw line. They opened the fourth quarter 1-of-8 from the field in the quarter, going a stretch of 4:06 and 2:33 without a field goal. The Jets did have a series of five straight successfully made free-throw attempts in the quarter, but were 3-of-10 outside of those five attempts in the quarter. LCU, 0-of-6 from three-point range in the second half, made four of their final five shot attempts inside the arc. Fifteen of LCU's 23 points in the final quarter came from the free-throw line.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
For the first time this season (Thursday was Game 21 of the season), LCU was outscored in the third quarter of play. Newman outscored LCU 17-16 in the quarter… Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal provided this following nugget: Of LCU's 60 consecutive home wins, Thursday's marked the eighth victory with a single-digit margin of victory.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU remains home Saturday to start their second half of Heartland Conference play. They host St. Mary's with a 1 p.m. tip inside Rip Griffin Center.