LUBBOCK, Texas (Feb. 7, 2019) – Lubbock Christian University won its 10^th game in the Rip Griffin Center this season, holding off St. Mary's 76-70 on Thursday night.
 
The Chaps have now won five straight games against St. Mary's and seven of the least eight contests. St. Mary's has not won a game in the all-time series since Dec. 31, 2016, and the Rattlers have not earned back-to-back wins over the Chaps since 2014.
 
St. Mary's got the game's first basket and led for the first five minutes before a Brennen Fowler jumper put LCU on top and Isaac Asrat followed with a three-pointer to increase the lead to five points.
 
Fowler and Asrat led the team in scoring once again with 24 and 20 points, respectively. Fowler's 24 points marked the 10^th time this season that he led the team in scoring, while Asrat scored at least 20 points for the third straight game and the sixth time in the last seven games. Fowler also pulled down 14 rebounds, leading the team in that category for the 17^th time and notching his 10^th double-double of the year.
 
LCU's widest lead of the half came with 8:57 left before the break, as Ja'Qualyn Gilbreath hit a jumper in the paint to put them ahead by nine. The Rattlers fought back, however, scoring 14 of the games' next 16 points to take a three-point lead. The Chaps stayed down until the final minute of the half, when a made layup by Fowler and a free throw from Asrat tied the game at 28-all as the two teams went into the locker room.
 
The teams battled back and forth at the beginning of the second half. Lubbock Christian never led by more than four points, and St. Mary's was up by one with 13:24 left in the game. Fowler gave LCU the lead, however, hitting an and-one layup and making the ensuing free throw.
 
Two minutes later, Silas Crisler hit a three-pointer and increase the Chap lead to five points, but the Rattlers would still not go away. LCU never trailed again the rest of the way, but StMU did tie the game one more time at 65-all with just over four minutes to go.
 
Fowler once again broke the tie, drawing a foul and hitting a foul shot, and LCU scored five more points before St. Mary's got another bucket, and by that time there was less than a minute to go in the game.
 
The Rattlers were forced to foul the rest of the way to stop the clock, and Cameron Copley and Asrat hit the free shots to seal the win.
 
Caleb Jordan led St. Mary's with 22 points and Matej Gaspert also finished with 17 points. LCU was also helped by junior Jay Workman who had 11 points, marking his sixth double-digit performance of the season.
 
TURNING POINT
Brennen Fowler gave LCU the lead with just under four minutes to go with a free throw that sparked a 6-0 run. The run lasted until the second mark, allowing the Chaps to hold off the Rattlers for the win.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU shot better than their opposition for the 18^th time in 22 games this season, but finished below the 50 percent shooting mark. The Chaps are 10-0 when shooting better than 50 percent, but won for only the sixth time this season when hitting less than half their shots.
 
NEXT UP
The Chaparrals will wrap up a four-game home stand and look for revenge against Texas A&M International at 3 p.m. in the Rip Griffin Center.