WESTERN NEW MEXICO (4-5, 1-4, 0-1) at No.1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (11-0, 5-0, 1-0) January 2, 2020 • 5:30 p.m. Lubbock, Texas • Rip Griffin Center (1,950) LIVE STATS: Stat Broadcast TV: Fox 34 News Now (34.2 Digital, Suddenlink 109) Talent: Chris Due (Play-By-Play), Mark Holwerda (Analyst) WATCH ONLINE: LSC Digital Network  (Online or via OTT apps including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku devices by searching "LSC Digital Network.") Talent: Chris Due (Play-By-Play), Mark Holwerda (Analyst) LISTEN: 100.7 The Score Talent: Chris Due (Play-By-Play), Mark Holwerda (Analyst) LCU Social Media:
	WESTERN NEW MEXICO MUSTANGS (4-5, 1-4, 0-1) Location: Silver City, N.M. Conference: Lone Star Head Coach: Lauren Unger (Texas - Permian Basin, 2012) Roster | Stats | Preview
	LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN LADY CHAPS (11-0, 5-0, 1-0) Location: Lubbock, Texas Conference: Lone Star Head Coach: Steve Gomez (LCU, 1988) Roster | Stats | Game Notes

BACK FROM THE BREAK
Lubbock Christian University's 11-day Christmas Break comes to an end Thursday, as LCU not only returns to the hardwood, but returns to Lone Star Conference divisional play hosting Western New Mexico (Thursday at 5:30 p.m.) and Texas – Permian Basin (Saturday at 1 p.m.) inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU has an overall 11-0 record this season, with a 5-0 mark in LSC play. They have only played one (1-0) divisional contest this season and this week's pair of games marks their first LSC divisional home games this season.
 
TWAS THE GAMES BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Prior to the Christmas Break, LCU collected wins at Cameron (Dec. 19) and Midwestern State (Dec. 21), which were their first wins (all-time) against those opponents on the road (LCU was a combined 0-19 against Cameron and MSU on road all-time prior to the trip). LCU improved to 4-0 in road games this season. Maddi Chitsey the team with 16.0 points a game on the two-game roadtrip. She had 16 points in each contest and also had eight blocks, which moved her into fourth all-time in LCU program history in career blocks (now with 125 in her career). Six of the blocks came along with eight rebounds and 16 points to help LCU claim a comeback win over Midwestern State.

LONE STAR DEBUT
The Lady Chaps are playing in their first season in the Lone Star Conference and are 5-0 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 15.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Ashton Duncan (13.4) and Allie Schulte (13.2) are each averaging in double figures in conference contests. LCU has the advantage in three-point field goals (42-32), steals (42-29) and blocks (35-11) in LSC games.

WHO IS COUNTING?
LCU's 11-0 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 nine unbeaten teams in Division II.

2019 IS IN THE BOOKS
The 2019 calendar year was a good one for the Lady Chaps. In the year LCU claimed their second national title, the Lady Chaps went 22-1 (95.7%) in games played during the 2019 calendar year.  LCU had a 29-5 record (85.3%) for all games played in 2018, and they went 26-5 (83.9%) in 2017, 29-10 (74.4%) in 2016 and 24-4 (85.7%) in 2015.
 
RELAX
Despite posting an 11-0 record, the Lady Chaps can't say they have not faced adversity. LCU has overcome a deficit in nine of their 11 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 58-49 win over Tarleton State (Dec. 14), LCU was able to extend their active home win streak to 69 games, which ranks third all-time in NCAA Division II women's basketball (it actively leads NCAA Div. II). 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 57 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
69 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->

MORE ON THE HOMEFRONT
LCU is 4-0 at home this season. Maddi Chitsey leads LCU averaging 16.5 points at home, with Allie Schulte (11.8 points) and Ashton Duncan (10.3 points) each averaging over 10 points a home contest to assist in the scoring. LCU is shooting 46.3% at home this season and they are holding opponents to a 32.6% shooting mark. They are 84.7% (50/59) from the free-throw line at home and have a 26-8 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 fifth 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 (68) and fifth in blocks per game (6.2). Maddi Chitsey leads the team with 34 blocks (second in the conference and seventh nationally), at a pace of 3.1 per game (leads the conference and sixth 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 50-of-59 (84.7%) from the free-throw line at home this season, with Madelyn Turner (10-of-10), Maddi Chitsey (10-of-11) and Caitlyn Cunyus (7-of-8) combining for an 93.1% free-throw shooting mark on the road. The Lady Chaps lead the LSC in free-throw percentage (ranking 31^st nationally) at 76.5%. 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 (19^th nationally) with a 90.3% 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 11th nationally, holding opponents to a 33.1% shooting mark on the season. Of their nine contests, LCU has held the opponent to under a 30% shooting mark three times and the highest shooting percentage they have allowed in a game was 40.0% by Cameron (Dec. 19), which was the only time an opponent shot over 38% in a game this season against LCU.
 
D-NOTES
The Lady Chaps rank second in the LSC in defensive rebounds a game with a mark of 27.8 per contest, which ranks 78^th nationally. Their team leader in defensive rebounds per game is Caitlyn Cunyus, who ranks sixth in the LSC with 5.2 per contest.
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT WNMU
1 > The Mustangs are 4-5 this season following a 53-43 conference road win at Texas A&M Kingsville, which ended a four-game losing skid. They are coming off a 10-17 season in 2018-19, finishing tied for eighth in the LSC with a 6-14 conference record.
2 > WNMU is preseason picked 15^th in the LSC Preseason Poll. The Mustangs are 1-4 in LSC play and are 0-1 in divisional play.
3 > Western New Mexico ranks fourth in the LSC in three-point shooting percentage with a mark of 32.8% on the season. They have produced at least a 50% shooting mark from outside twice this season and each game was with at least 19 attempts. 
4 > The Mustangs do not foul much, ranking second in the conference in fouls per game (14.1), which ranks 22^nd nationally.
5 > Alicia Mardis leads the Mustangs in rebounds, ranking fourth in the LSC in rebounds (85) and third in rebounds per game (8.5).

THE SERIES AGAINST WNMU
The Mustangs and Lady Chaps are set to meet for the 19th time in an all-time series that dates back to 1980. WNMU has a 10-8 series lead, but has not defeated the Lady Chaps since 1994. LCU has won the prior four meetings five meetings, with the latest resulting in an 85-44 win on Nov. 17, 2017 in Lubbock. LCU is 4-2 in Lubbock against WNMU (three straight wins). The two teams are scheduled for a home-and-home conference schedule this season, marking the first time the two teams have a home-and-home scheduled in a single season since 1994, when each were members of the NAIA.
 
ACTIVE LEADERS VS. WNMU
Here is a look at the top-three active Lady Chaps career leaders against WNMU:
Caitlyn Cunyus / 1 game (15 points, 5 3-pointers)
Maddi Chitsey / 1 game (15 points, 6 rebounds)
Ashton Duncan / 1 game (5 points, 2 steals)
 
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. WNMU
Nov. 17, 2017 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU:85 - WNMU:44
No.23 Lubbock Christian University matched a program record shooting 66.7% from three-point range, and the mark of 12-of-18 is their best downtown shooting mark with more than 10 three-pointers, as the Lady Chaparrals marched past Western New Mexico 85-44 in their home opener inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
Six different Lady Chaps nailed three-pointers in the game, with Caitlyn Cunyus leading the Lady Chaps with a career high five three-pointers on 5-of-8 shooting. LCU's prior performance of 66.7% shooting from long range (at least 10 three-pointers made) came on Feb. 28, 2008, with LCU going 10-of-15 from three-point range against Science & Arts of Oklahoma inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
LCU was off and running early, with Cunyus nailing her first three-pointer 2:27 into the contest to cap an 8-0 run to start the game. Kailin Davis jumped into the mix later in the opening quarter with a trey as part of a 10-0 run. LCU closed the quarter 6-of-8 from the field and led 26-11 at the end of the quarter. WNMU only made consecutive shot attempts once in the game, and it came during a stretch of four consecutive made attempts in the second quarter. LCU was still able to outscore the Mustangs 20-18 in the half and LCU led 44-31 at the half. LCU was 7-of-10 from the perimeter in the first half (3-of-3 in the first quarter). Davis led LCU with 14 points in the half. Cunyus was 4-of-6 from three-point range with 12 points in the half.
 
Maddi Chitsey opened the second half with a three-pointer for the Lady Chaps and it sparked a 20-5 scoring run for LCU, building their lead to 64-36. LCU would lead by at least 26 points the rest of the way. Chitsey led LCU with 10 points in the second half.  She combined with sister, Bobbi, to go 6-of-9 from the field (3-of-3 from three-point range) and 17 points in the second half. LCU, finishing the game shooting 55.4% from the field (31/56), shot 59.3% (16/27) from the field in the second half.
 
Davis led all scorers with 16 points, going 6-of-8 from the field in her Rip Griffin Center debut. Another player somewhat familiar with the Rip Griffin Center was WNMU's Ciara Fields, who played junior college basketball for 2017 NJCAA Women's Basketball National Tournament (Rip Griffin Center was the host venue) qualifier Cochise College. Fields led WNMU with 12 points.  WNMU was 8-of-8 from the free-throw line in the game to provide a bright spot for the Mustangs, who fell to 0-3. 
 
Maddi Chitsey (career high) and Cunyus each supplied LCU with 15 points. They were each 5-of-8 from the field.