No.22 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (19-4, 9-0 Heartland)
at ARKANSAS FORT-SMITH (7-14, 4-4 Heartland)
Thursday, February 14 - 5:30 PM
Stubblefield Center (Fort Smith, Ark.)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 11-1

THE ROAD TRIO
Lubbock Christian University begins a three-game road trip Thursday with a stop in Fort Smith, Ark. to complete the season home-and-home Heartland Conference set with Arkansas – Fort Smith (UAFS). The trip continues Saturday in Claremore, Okla. Saturday to face Rogers State before wrapping up next week in Wichita, Kan. LCU enters the week with a 9-0 conference record and atop the standings, as St. Mary's and Newman are each 5-4 in conference play with five games remaining. The Lady Chaps "magic number" to claim at least a share of their sixth conference title in program history and fourth in the Heartland Conference is "one" and it sits at "two" to claim the title outright.  

SATURDAY SUMMARY
No.24 Lubbock Christian University had its best defensive performance in program history Saturday, as they set a program single-game record in holding Texas A&M International to 19 points and allowing six field goals (tied a program single-game record) in an 88-19 Heartland Conference victory.

The 19 points scored by TAMIU was their fewest in program history and the points allow topped the prior LCU single-game record of 21 points allowed on two prior occasions (LCU allowed 21 points to National Christian on Dec. 8, 2001 and to Dallas Christian College on Nov. 4, 2008). TAMIU was a brisk 6-of-48 from the field (12.5%), which was the fewest field goal total by an LCU opponent since Dallas Christian was held to 6-of-49 (12.2%) shooting on Dec. 31, 2009, which also marked the last time LCU had a win margin of at least 69 points (defeated DCC 110-23).

LCU's statistics were staggering. They outscored TAMIU 39-0 in points off turnovers, 36-0 in paint scoring and 14-0 in second chance scoring. The Lady Chaps had 14 steals, forced 26 turnovers and had a 46-19 rebound advantage, leading to their largest rebound margin (+27) since a +34 on Jan. 28, 2016 against Oklahoma Panhandle State.

TAMIU made only one field goal inside the arc, as they were 1-of-30 (3.3%) inside the arc. Five of the Dustdevils six field goals were three-pointers, and they were two-of-four from the free-throw line. The Dustdevils went the opening 4:30 of the game without a point, the opening 5:25 of the second quarter without a point and they went scoreless the entire third quarter, marking the first time LCU has shut a team out in a quarter since quarters were adopted in women's basketball in 2015-16 (the Dustdevils combined for one field goal in the two combined middle quarters). TAMIU went a span of 15:32 of the game without a point (from 4:35 left in the second quarter until 57 seconds into the fourth quarter), missing 22 consecutive shot attempts in the gap. Meanwhile, LCU went on a 31-0 run during the TAMIU drought.

LCU led 66-10 heading into the fourth quarter and the Dustdevils started to get an offensive pulse, going 3-of-8 over a stretch, which included back-to-back three-pointers, but they closed the final 2:47 without a point.

LCU was 52.3% (34/65) from the field and mixed in 12 of their 13 players into the offensive mix. Not one Lady Chap played more than 21:26 (the time non-starter Madelyn Turner played) and every Lady Chap played at least 12 minutes. Emma Middleton (!2 points) and Channing Cunyus (8 points) each had career-high point performances. They co-led the Lady Chaps with seven career-high rebounds.

Allie Schulte had a near perfect statistical line, leading all scorers with 17 points behind a 6-of-6 shooting performance, which included a 4-of-4 line from three-point range. She completed the stat line and had a +41 plus/minus in a span of 15:44 playing time. Caitlyn Cunyus was also +41 (same amount of playing time as Schulte), which is the highest plus/minus the team has recorded since the stats have been kept on file since 2010.

TAMIU's best performance came from Kendall Alsup, who had seven rebounds and six points. The Dustdevils suffered their 21st consecutive loss and they are 0-20 this season (0-8 in conference). The 69-point deficit was their second-worst in program history.
 
FURTHER RESEARCH
The NCAA offices were conducting further research into LCU's program record 19 points allowed, as they are seeking where the 19 points, six field goals and one two-point field goal ranks all-time, or when the last time it has happened. They have been experiencing computer technical difficulties this week and at press time, they have been unable to compile the data.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Lubbock Christian is holding opponents to 48.4 points per game in conference and 53.9 per game overall this season, which ranks 17^th nationally. The defensive efforts have led to LCU averaging a margin of victory of 18.6 points per game, which ranks 18^th nationally. The Lady Chaps have a 29.1 scoring margin advantage per game in conference play.

NO FOUL PLAY
The Lady Chaps rank 11th in the nation in fouls per game, with a conference-leading average of 13.9 fouls per game (12.7 in conference). Fouls have led LCU to outscoring their opponents 12.2 – 9.6 in points a game from the free-throw line. The Lady Chaps have shot over 80% from the free-throw line in eight games this season and they have a mark of 73.1% on the season (second in the Heartland Conference). Olivia Robertson leads the team (of qualified attempts), shooting 86.4% (76/88) 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 seventh nationally with a 48.1% 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 eight occasions, including five of their last seven games. They are shooting 47.3% this season in road 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. Dec. 10 at Texas A&M International, marked the first time all six sisters contributed at least a point in the same contest. On Jan. 17 against Rogers State, all six scored at least one point, marking the first time the occurrence happened at home.

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 72 assists (3.1 per game), with Caitlyn Cunyus (2.7), Olivia Robertson (54, 2.3) and Bobbi Chitsey (2.0) also playing a role in the ball distribution. LCU averages 16.4 assists (leads the Heartland Conference) on 26.1 field goals per game. LCU has 376 assists (leads the conference), ranking 15th nationally in the category.

ROAD JOURNAL
The Lady Chaps are 5-3 in true road games this season, winning their prior five road tests. Olivia Robertson leads LCU in away contests with average of 19.3 points per game. 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 five road games, they have a forced their opponents into 83 turnovers (16.6 per game) and have limited themselves to 59 turnovers (11.8 per game), which has them outscoring opponents 92-58 in points-off-turnovers in the span (average advantage of 18.4 - 11.6 per game). Combining all road games this season, LCU has committed 130 turnovers (16.3 per game) and have been outscored 149-115 in points-off-turnovers (an average of 18.6 - 14.4 per road game).
ALLIE CAT
Sophomore guard Allie Schulte has been perfect in her last two games played… literally. In wins over St. Mary's and TAMIU, Schulte was a combined 10-of-10 from the field and 7-of-7 from three-point range. She averaged 14.0 points per game in the two games. She has posted double figures in points in the previous five straight games and six of the prior seven games.

HAVING HEART
LCU, winners of 27 straight conference games, is the only unbeaten (9-0) team in Heartland Conference play this season. The Lady Chaps 9-0 start in conference has been led by Olivia Robertson, who has an average of 11.9 points per conference game. Allie Schulte (11.4), Bobbi Chitsey (11.3) and Maddi Chitsey (10.7) join Robertson in double figures in points. LCU has a 133-103 advantage in turnovers (forced) in conference contests, leading to a 170-96 scoring advantage in points-off-turnovers. They are also benefiting off an average advantage of 11.8 – 4.3 second-chance-points per conference game and their bench averaging 27.1 points per conference game. The Lady Chaps are shooting 51.1% from the field in conference and shooting 37.8% from three-point range, with a 79-37 advantage in three-pointers (LCU is 60.0% inside the arc in conference). Opponents are 33.3% from the field and 27.2% from three-point range. LCU's defense has a 84-44 advantage in steals in conference games, with Allie Schulte leading the team with 17 (1.9 per game).

BOARD GAMES
The Lady Chaps rank seventh in the Heartland Conference in rebounds per game (34.0, which ranks 279^th of 301 Division II programs), but they lead the Heartland Conference in rebounding margin with a mark of 6.3 (49^th nationally). Olivia Robertson leads LCU with 141 rebounds (6.1 per game). LCU has only been out-rebounded twice over the prior 20 games and they have 85 more rebounds through nine conference games (+9.4 per conference game).

DOWNTOWN
The Lady Chaps rank 21^st nationally with 186 three-pointers on the season and is ninth with a shooting mark of 39.0% from long range. Allie Schulte leads the team, hitting three-pointers at a pace of 51.2% on the season (42/82), with 42 three-pointers ranking fifth in the conference. Bobbi Chitsey is 17-of-35 (.486) and Madelyn Turner is 8-of-19 (.421) from three-point range in conference play, with Bobbi Chitsey leading the team with 17 three-pointers in conference (1.9 per game).
 
IN DEPTH
Looking inside the Lady Chaps current 12-game win streak, it is nearly split with a 6-0 home and 5-0 road record (1-0 in neutral site play). Olivia Robertson (12.9), Bobbi Chitsey (12.4), Maddi Chitsey (11.5) and Allie Schulte (10.3) are each averaging double figures in the current streak. LCU is shooting 48.9% from the field in the streak and they have an 96-56 advantage in three-point field goals. Schulte (20-of-46, .476) and Bobbi Chitsey (21-of-46, 45.7%) lead LCU from long range in the streak. Of the 12 games, LCU has had five different players lead them in individual game scoring.   
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT UAFS
- The Lady Lions are 7-14 overall on the season and is sitting 4-4 in conference play. Of their mark of 4-4 in conference play (since Jan.9), neither UAFS's wins or losses have come in succession.
- UAFS completed the 2017-18 season with a 20-11 mark and they qualified for the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament, where they fell 81-66 to West Texas A&M in Lubbock. They went 10-4 in conference last season and are preseason picked No.3 in this season's conference preseason poll.
- Arkansas - Fort Smith is in their first season with Tari Cummings at the helm. She replaces Elena Lovato, who left to take an assistant coaching job with Mississippi State. Cummings, who arrives from University of Tulsa, is the first former Lady Lion to coach at UAFS.
- UAFS had been the second best field goal shooting team in conference, but recently they have slipped to third in the conference. The Lady Lions did have a 65.5% shooting performance on Jan. 24, 2019 against the TAMIU, but of a stretch of their last six games, it is the only game that shot at least 40%.
- Mariah Green enters the week leading the Heartland Conference with 714 minutes of play this season (34.0 per game average).

SERIES HISTORY WITH UAFS
LCU has won the last four meetings and has an 11-1 all-time advantage over UAFS. All meetings have been since joining the Heartland Conference, including LCU's 86-46 win on Jan. 19 in Lubbock. The two squads met three times last season, with LCU claiming a trio of wins, including a 69-61 win Mar. 4, 2018 at the Heartland Conference Tournament Championship Game in Tulsa, Okla.

PREVIOUS MEETING VS. UAFS
Jan. 19, 2019 (Lubbock, Texas.): LCU 86 - UAFS 46
LCU shot 69.2% from the field in the second half and received 46 points off the bench, as the Lady Chaps received a combined 27 points from Maddi (15 points) and Bobbi (12 points) Chitsey en route to an 86-46 Heartland Conference victory over Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) inside Rip Griffin Center.

Maddi Chitsey nearly had a double-double in her 19 minutes of play. She led all scorers with 15 points and nearly completed a double-double with nine rebounds, a career-high five rebounds and three blocks. Nine of Chitsey's point total came in the third quarter, which is a quarter LCU was 9-of-14 (69.2%) from the field.

The Lady Chaps defense forced 19 turnovers and had 13 steals, which led to a 29-8 scoring advantage in points-off-turnovers. Allie Schulte led LCU with three steals. Four Lady Chaps finished in double figures in scoring. Bobbi Chitsey (12), Ashton Duncan (12) and Madelyn Turner (10) joined Maddi Chitsey in the balanced scoring effort. LCU was 54.1% from the field (33/61), topping 50% for a fifth time this season and for a second consecutive game. They were 10-of-23 (43.5%) from three-point range.

UAFS (5-12, 2-2) was led by Ellie Lehne, who finished with 14 points. The Lions were 32% (16/50) from the field in the contest, shooting 29.3% (12/41) inside the arc. The few bright spots for UAFS was their shooting at the free-throw line. After opening the game 1-of-3 from the free-throw line, the Lady Lions went 9-of-10 the rest of the way to finish 76.9% (10/13) from the charity stripe.

The Lady Chaps improved to 11-1 all-time against UAFS (fourth straight win in the series) and are 6-0 all-time at home against UAFS (three of the six wins have been by margins of at least 40 points).