LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-0, 7-0 LSC)
vs. TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (1-10, 1-8 LSC)
Saturday, January 23 – 5:30 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
All-Time Series: Lubbock Christian leads 9-5
 
TIPOFF
It's another quick turnaround for the Lubbock Christian University men's basketball team, as they host Texas A&M International for the second time in less than 24 hours at the Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps were dominant in Friday night's matchup winning by 48 points – their largest margin of victory over a conference opponent since 2016.
 
FIVE THINGS TO FOCUS ON
 
1 | By limiting the Dustdevils to just 38 points on Friday night, Lubbock Christian moved to first in the Lone Star Conference in scoring defense. On average this season, they have allowed opponents just 62.3 points per game, one full point less than the next-closest team, Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
2 | TAMIU only traveled with seven players, and two had fouled out by the midway point of the second half in the first meeting between the teams. Four Dustdevil players were on the floor for 30 minutes or more last night, including a team-leading 35 from Simba Zihumo.
 
3 | LCU had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from the free throw line, hitting on only 12 of their 19 attempts (63.2 percent). It was their lowest percentage from the line since Feb. 22, 2020, when they shot 62.5 percent (10-16) in a 75-60 win against Texas A&M-Kingsville. Even with Friday night's performance, the Chaps still lead the LSC in free throw shooting with an overall percentage of 79.3.
 
4 | The Dustdevils shot just 23.5 percent overall on Friday night (12-51), marking the lowest shooting percentage by an LCU opponent since Feb. 9, 2019, when Texas A&M International shot 21.8 percent (12-55) in a 75-36 Chap win.
 
5 | With a win on Saturday, Lubbock Christian can move to 8-0, which would be their best start since the 2000-01 season, when LCU began the year 9-0. The undefeated led to a No. 16 national ranking, which is their first top 25 recognition since moving to the NCAA. The last time LCU was ranked this high in the NAIA was the week of Feb. 7, 2007, when they were ranked No 15.  
 
THE SERIES WITH THE DUSTDEVILS
The Chaps increased their lead in the all-time series to 9-5 with the win on Friday night. If Lubbock Christian wins on Saturday, it will extend their win streak against Texas A&M International to four games, which would be their longest win streak against the Dustdevils ever. They previously won three straight games from 2014-15.