WICHITA FALLS, Texas (December 21, 2019) – Lubbock Christian never led by more than four in a game that featured 16 lead changes but was able to come away with a 73-72 win over Midwestern State in their final game before the winter break.
The Chaps struggled to shoot three-pointers all night, including a 1-9 showing in the first half, but hit from behind the arc when it counted.
Ty Caswell and
Cameron Copley both hit threes in the game's final four minutes as the two teams see-sawed back and forth before
Rashaan Proctor hit the game-winning jumper and LCU made stops to secure the win.
Proctor came through big in Lubbock Christian's most back-and-forth game of the year. The senior scored a season-high 21 points on 8-12 shooting (.667), going a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line as well. He added in six rebounds (four of which came on the offensive glass) and was a team-high plus-12 in his 34 minutes on the floor.
Midwestern State was hot offensively to start the game, coming off their first win of the season on Thursday against Angelo State. The Mustangs shot 50 percent from the field overall, including 44.4 percent from behind the arc (4-9). Seven of the 13 MSU players who saw action scored in the first half. LCU, in comparison, played just seven players all night.
The Chaps were efficient offensively as well in the first half, hitting 12 of their 28 shots (42.9 percent), even with a 1-9 showing on three-pointers. The efficiency was key in keeping the game close, and a Proctor layup with 31 seconds left in the half put LCU up 27-26, but a buzzer-beating three-pointer to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room.
Caswell scored six straight points to open the second half, building LCU's lead out to four points, which is the largest it ever was. Trae Jones hit back-to-back three-pointers to quickly put the Mustangs back on top and the see-saw began.
LCU only led by as many as two points twice in the game's final 15 minutes, going up 49-47 on a Proctor and-one with 11:27 left to play and again on a jumper from
Lloyd Daniels with 10:55 left in the game. Both baskets came off shots in the paint, which was a common theme for the Chaps during the game. Struggling from outside, Lubbock Christian poured in 50 of their 73 points (68.5 percent) inside the paint, compared to just 28 from the Mustangs.
Midwestern State looked to be pulling away with five minutes left in the game, scoring six straight points to distance themselves from LCU. Daniels rebounded his own miss and tipped it in on the next Chap possession, however, followed by four straight
Rashaan Proctor points and a three-pointer from Caswell to swing Lubbock Christian back in front.
The lead changed on nearly every offensive possession throughout the rest of the game.
Cameron Copley hit a big three-pointer with 1:50 left to put the Chaps up by one. Midwestern scored on their next possession before Proctor hit what proved to be the game-winner with 55 seconds left.
LCU forced a missed three-pointer on the following MSU possession, but the Chaps turned the ball over with six seconds left, giving the Mustangs one last shot out of a timeout. Darius Thompson took the shot to win the game, but missed, securing the LCU win.
TURNING POINT
After Midwestern State scored with 4:51 to go up by six points, Lubbock Christian scored nine straight to go back up by three just a minute and a half later, forcing the game's tense final and back-and-forth final three minutes.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Chaps improved both their overall and three-point shooting percentages in the second half. They shot 59.4 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes and 27.3 percent from behind the arc.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Dallas Baptist got back in the win column with a win over UT Tyler, while Tarleton State got its first LSC win of the year, taking down Texas A&M-Commerce 94-91 in Stephenville. West Texas A&M stayed undefeated in LSC play with a win over UAFS.
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will now break for Christmas before returning to the court on January 2 against Western New Mexico in the Rip Griffin Center.
