WRAP IT UP
Lubbock Christian University concludes a three-game homestand Saturday hosting Angelo State to wrap up their regular season Lone Star Conference divisional home-and-home series. LCU leads their division (3-0) and aims to remain unbeaten (7-0) in Lone Star Conference games and overall (13-0) for the season. The contest is the only game on the week for the Lady Chaps, who will follow the contest with a trip to Portales, N.M. to face Eastern New Mexico Thursday. LCU enters Saturday's game on a 24-game win streak dating back to last season.
 
BACK FROM THE BREAK
LCU returned from the holidays last week with home wins over Western New Mexico (64-40) and Texas – Permian Basin (94-49). Ashton Duncan helped LCU in the LSC divisional home wins by averaging 13.0 points a game. Her outburst on the week came in a 21-point performance Saturday against UTPB, as she matched a career high with a season-high five three-pointers on a 5-of-7 three-point shooting performance from long distance. She was 7-of-10 in the contest with a +29 plus/minus rating. On the week, Duncan was 8-of-15 from the field, going 6-of-11 (.545) from three-point range. LCU's defense combined to hold their opponents to a 27.2% shooting percentage on the week. Juliana had four blocks on the week, producing three in their win over WNMU.

LONE STAR DEBUT
The Lady Chaps are playing in their first season in the Lone Star Conference and are 7-0 so far this season in conference play. A trio of Lady Chaps are averaging double figures in LSC play, led by Maddi Chitsey, who is averaging 14.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per conference game. Ashton Duncan (13.3) and Allie Schulte (12.1) are each averaging in double figures in conference contests. LCU has the advantage in three-point field goals (54-43), steals (58-44) and blocks (46-12) in LSC games. The Lady Chaps have a 20-point scoring margin per game and are holding opponents to a 33.2% in those contests.

WHO IS COUNTING?
LCU's 13-0 start tops their 6-0 start to the 2017-18 season and it is their best start since their memorable 2015-16 season in which they went 35-0. LCU is one of two unbeaten teams in the LSC and there are five unbeaten teams in Division II.

LONG DISTANCE NEWS
Ashton Duncan leads LCU with 42 three-pointers this season and is coming off a 5-of-7 three-point shooting performance Saturday against UTPB. Duncan leads the LSC shooting 42.0% from long range (ranks 39th nationally) and is third in the LSC with 2.6 three-pointers per game. She has made at least three three-pointers in eight games this season.
 
RELAX
Despite posting an 13-0 record, the Lady Chaps can't say they have not faced adversity. LCU has overcome a deficit in 10 of their 13 games this season, with a 10-point deficit on Nov. 29 against Southern Nazarene marking their biggest deficit of the season. LCU is 3-0 this season when trailing at the half and 2-0 when trailing after three quarters. LCU went 7-3 last season when trailing at the half and 1-3 in contests they trailed after three quarters. On Dec. 21 at Midwestern State, LCU overcame a nine-point deficit in the third quarter.

WHEN AT HOME
LCU went 15-0 last season inside Rip Griffin Center. With LCU's 94-49 win over UTPB Saturday, LCU was able to extend their active home win streak to 71 games, which ranks third all-time in NCAA Division II women's basketball (it actively leads all of NCAA following Baylor's win at UConn Thursday). 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, who also has a 7-0 mark in NCAA postseason play in Lubbock in the mix, has also won 59 consecutive home conference games, with their last conference home loss occurring Jan. 10, 2013 (against Oklahoma City). They completed a 49-0 all-time mark in Heartland Conference home games.

NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS 
87 - Neb.-Kearney Jan. 31, 1995-Nov. 24, 2001
85 - West Tex. A&M Jan. 9, 1987-Dec. 6, 1991
71 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->
 
NCAA'S ACTIVE-LEADING HOME WIN STREAKS 
71 – LCU (Division II)
47 – Baylor (Division I)
46 – Drury (Division II)
36 – Southwestern Okla. St. (Division II)
29 – Iowa (Division I)

MORE ON THE HOMEFRONT
LCU is 6-0 at home this season. Maddi Chitsey leads LCU averaging 15.3 points at home and joins Ashton Duncan (11.2) and Allie Schulte (11.0) as players averaging double figures in points at home. LCU is shooting 47.7% at home this season and they are holding opponents to a 30.9% shooting mark. They are 85.1% (80/94) from the free-throw line at home and have a 37-9 advantage in blocked shots.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Based on the preseason rankings for the 2019-20 season (D2SIDA, WBCA along with Lone Star Conference), the Lady Chaparrals carry the highest expectations in program history to start a season. D2SIDA placed the defending national champions No.1 and the WBCA ranked LCU No.2 despite the Lady Chaps receiving 14 of the 23 first place votes. Each ranking is their highest preseason ranking in program history. The LSC preseason ranked LCU No.1 in their preseason rankings. The sixth national in-season rankings came out this week and LCU remained No.1 in the WBCA and No.2 in D2SIDA polls.

BLOCK PARTIES ARE BACK
LCU ranks sixth nationally in blocks (79) and fourth in blocks per game (6.1). Maddi Chitsey leads the team with 35 blocks (second in the conference and 11th nationally), at a pace of 2.7 per game (leads the conference and 10th nationally). LCU has ranked in the top-10 nationally in blocks each season since the 2015-16 season, which was their first season eligible to have statistics included among NCAA leaders. They ranked 10^th in total blocks last season (155), second in 2017-18 (202, ranking fourth with a pace of 6.1 per game), fourth in 2016-17 (170, leading the nation with 5.7 per game) and led NCAA Division II in 2015-16 with 235 blocks (6.7 per game).

CHARITY WORK
LCU is 80-of-94 (85.1%) from the free-throw line at home this season, with Laynee Burr (10-of-10), Madelyn Turner (10-of-10), Caitlyn Cunyus (9-of-10) and Maddi Chitsey (16-of-18) combining for a 93.8% free-throw shooting mark at home. The Lady Chaps lead the LSC in free-throw percentage (ranking 18^th nationally) at 77.9%. Saturday against UTPB, LCU was 17-of-18 (94.4%) from the line. In each season LCU has been eligible to have team statistics included among NCAA Division II leaders (2015-15), the Lady Chaps have finished in the top-three in their conference in free-throw shooting. They led the Heartland Conference in 2017-18 with a 76.2% mark from the line, ranking 33rd nationally. Their highest national ranking is 32nd (75.0%) from the 2015-16 season. Caitlin Cunyus leads LCU and the LSC (ninth nationally) with a 90.9% shooting mark from the line (Turner does not qualify with enough attempts but is shooting 94.1% from the line).

BE DEFENSIVE
The Lady Chaps lead the LSC and rank fourth nationally, holding opponents to a 32.2% shooting mark on the season. Of their 13 contests, LCU has held the opponent to under a 30% shooting mark five times and the highest shooting percentage they have allowed in a game was 40.0% by Cameron (Dec. 19), which has been the only time an opponent shot has over 38% in a game this season against LCU.
 
D-NOTES
The Lady Chaps rank third in the LSC in defensive rebounds a game with a mark of 27.8 per contest, which ranks 93^rd nationally. Their team leader in defensive rebounds per game is Caitlyn Cunyus, who ranks seventh in the LSC with 5.2 per contest.
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT ASU
1 > The Belles are coming off a 26-6 campaign in 2018-19, as they were regular season co-champions of the LSC with a 17-3 record. They went 9-3 on the road last season and are off to a 2-2 start this season in road play. The Belles qualified for the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament last season, leading to a regional championship game in which they fell to LCU 76-70. ASU has had their season end with losses to LCU the past two seasons and three of the past four seasons.
2 > ASU is preseason picked third in the LSC Preseason Poll. They received one first-place vote.
3 > Angelo State is 8-3 overall this season, with a 5-2 conference record and a 2-1 division mark. The Belles have won their prior three games and are 6-1 since falling to LCU on Nov. 23, 2019.
4 > Nate Harris is in his first season at the helm of the Belles. Harris was an assistant coach last season for the Belles following an assistant coaching stint at Montana State.
5 > De'Anira Moore leads the LSC in field goal percentage (56.0) and free-throw attempts with 77. She posted 21 points against LCU in the prior meeting this season, with 11 free-throw attempts.

THE SERIES AGAINST ASU
LCU leads the series with a 11-3 all-time mark. LCU defeated ASU 75-64 earlier this season in San Angelo to claim their seventh consecutive win in the all-time series. The previous meeting in Lubbock was on Mar. 19, 2019 in last season's South Central Region Tournament (76-70 LCU win) and it marked the third straight LCU win in a NCAA postseason game against ASU. The last regular season meeting in Lubbock resulted in a 62-56 win by ASU on Dec. 29, 2000. LCU is 6-1 all-time against ASU at home and 3-1 in regular season games at home against the Belles. The two teams have met six times since 2012, but had not met since Nov. 30, 2001 prior to that. The last ASU win in the series was their victory on Dec. 29, 2000.

ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. ASU
Here is a look at LCU's top three active leaders career vs. ASU:

Maddi Chitsey 3GP 18.7 pts/g, 6/12 3pt-FG
Ashton Duncan 2GP 12.0 pts/g, 4/9 3pt-FG
Allie Schulte 3GP 10.0 pts/g, 3/6 3pt-FG

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. ASU
Nov. 23, 2019 (San Angelo, Texas) - LCU:75 - ASU:64
Ashton Duncan took advantage of her first career start and notched a career-high 24 points to help No.1 Lubbock Christian University avoid a monstrous Angelo State comeback attempt and claim a 75-64 victory in their Lone Star Conference opener Saturday afternoon inside Junell Center.

Duncan, a junior appearing in her 54th career game with the Lady Chaps, nailed eight of her first nine shot attempts during the game, including her first five field goal attempts. She posted 13 points in the first half off 5-of-6 shooting and was key in the Lady Chaps exploding offensively early. After missing their first four shot attempts, Duncan hit a three-pointer, which was the first of an eventual five consecutive Lady Chap successful field goal attempts over a stretch in which LCU was 9-of-11 from the field (bookended by Duncan three-pointers) to give them a 23-15 lead. LCU had a 16-0 scoring run, which included LCU closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run for a 23-15 lead before opening the second quarter on a 9-0 run for a 32-15 advantage. Duncan had 10 of the 16 points during the run, while ASU missed nine consecutive field goal attempts over nearly a seven-minute stretch. Along with Duncan's production, the Lady Chaps also received 12 points from Maddi Chitsey in the half, which helped LCU take a 42-29 lead into the half.

In the second half, the hot-hand for Duncan continued. She made four consecutive LCU field goals (nine points), as LCU went on a 10-0 run and built their lead to 56-33 with four minutes into the third quarter. With the 23-point advantage, it was not time to relax for the Lady Chaps, who had to put up with a surge by the Belles. Angelo State responded with three-pointers from Lana Marov and Sawyer Lloyd, which led to a 16-2 run to close the third quarter with LCU's lead cut to 58-49.

The Belles chipped away at the LCU lead and were able to trim the lead to 68-63 on a three-point play by De'anira Moore with 5:29 remaining. LCU erased any further meltdown thoughts with a 5-0 run to push the lead back to double figures (73-63).

LCU took advantage of turnovers early in the game, forcing the Belles into 11 turnovers and outscoring ASU 13-2 in points-off-turnovers. They finished the game with a 22-14 advantage in points off turnovers and a 21-14 turnover advantage.

The Lady Chaps shot 47.5% (29/61) from the field and knocked down nine three-pointers. They held ASU to 33.9% (21/62) shooting from the field. Duncan led all scorers with 24 points off 10-of-16 shooting, with a 4-of-9 mark from outside. Allie Schulte, who posted 13 points in the second half, finished with 18 points off 8-of-16 shooting.

ASU was led by Moore, who had 21 points. Catara Samuel (15), Marov (14) and Lloyd (12) also finished in double figures for the Belles, who fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in conference. Lloyd (2-of-6) and Marov (4-of-7) combined to go 6-of-13 from long range, while the rest of the Belles were 1-of-12 from three-point range.