NO. 1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (8-0)
vs. WESTERN NEW MEXICO (5-2)
Saturday, Dec. 11 – 5 p.m. CT
Drag's Court (Silver City, N.M.)
All-Time Series: LCU lead 10-8
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
Through the first eight games of the season, the Chaparrals boast one of the best defenses in the nation. They rank No. 1 among all NCAA Division II teams in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 35.4 percent shooting overall. Three time this season they have held opposing teams below 30 percent shooting, including this past Monday when Oklahoma City shot 29.5 percent. Furthermore, opponents only shoot 26.9 percent from behind the arc against the Chaps (No. 11 nationally), and LCU ranks No. 5 nationally in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 57.6 points per game. Only Texas A&M International has been better in that category with an opponent average of 57.0 points per game.
 
GLASS CLEANERS
Monday's game against the Stars marked another strong rebounding performance by the Chaps, as they out-rebounded OCU 47-29. The plus-18 rebounding margin was LCU's highest of the season so far. Overall, the Chaps are averaging 38.0 rebounds per game while limiting opponents to 31.6 for a rebounding margin of 6.4 that ranks third in the Lone Star Conference. They have not been out-rebounded in a game this season. Parker Hicks leads the team, the LSC and ranks No. 29 nationally in rebounds per game with 9.5. He has a pair of double-doubles this season, and Lloyd Daniels has one via rebounds as well.
 
SHOOTING STARS
Although they rank only eighth in the conference in offense (77.5 points per game), LCU is one of the top-shooting teams in the nation with a field goal percentage of 51.6. The mark ranks second in the LSC and 14^th among all D-II programs. Zach Stepp leads the team in shooting (minimum 15 attempts) with 62.5 percent of his shots made, but Hicks, Daniels, Jalen Brattain and Rowan Mackenzie are all shooting above the 50 percent mark as well. Lubbock Christian's season-high in shooting came on Nov. 25 against Hawaii Pacific, when they hit 61.2 percent of their shots.
 
PROTECTING THE ROCK
The best defense is a good offense. Or something like that. LCU's defense has definitely been helped by the offense and its extreme lack of turnovers so far this season. The Chaps are averaging just 9.9 turnovers per game, which is the second-best mark in the conference and ranks 13^th nationally. They also rank 11 nationally and first in the LSC in assist to turnover ratio with a mark of 1.63. Daniels leads the way in the assist category, averaging 5.1 per game. It is tied for the third-most in the conference. Aamer Muhammad and Rowan Mackenzie each are averaging more than two assists per game as well.
 
FAIR OR FOUL
The only other category in which the Chaparrals rank in the top 25 nationally is fewest personal fouls per game. They have averaged just 12.2 per contest through the first seven games, including a season-low of 10, which they did twice (11/13 vs. Colorado School of Mines, 11/20 vs. Arlington Baptist). Daniels and Muhammad have been the best at playing without fouling so far this year. They are the top two Chaps in minutes per game, but have committed just 11 and nine fouls, respectively.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Lubbock Christian remains ranked No. 1 nationally for the third straight week, first appearing in that spot in the polls on Nov. 23. The Chaps occupy the top spot in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll¬ with 398 points and 14 of the 16 first place votes. They received 10 of the 14 first place votes in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association poll with 390 points. Northwest Missouri State is the second place team in both polls. LCU had previously been ranked as high as No. 2 during the 2020-21 season. The highest the program was ever ranked in the NAIA was No. 4 from Jan. 20-27, 2004.
 
ROAD JOURNAL
The Chaparrals have played two true road games so far this season and one at a neutral site. All three were on the trip to Hawaii during the Thanksgiving holiday, and they won all of them. LCU is averaging 66.7 points per game on the road on 52.3 percent shooting. They have allowed 51.3 points per road contest, limiting opponents to 31.7 percent shooting. Daniels was LCU's best player in the three Hawaii road games, averaging 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS

• WNMU did not compete in the LSC during the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions, but did play 11 games – all on the road – and lost all of them
• The Mustangs have played three exhibitions against Division I opponents, taking on Grand Canyon, UTEP and the University of New Mexico
• Western New Mexico is 5-2 on the year, but only two of those wins have come against NCAA opponents, and they have lost two straight against Cameron and West Texas A&M
• The Mustangs played WT close, losing by just three points (73-70) in Canyon one week ago
• Tony Avalos is the team's leading scorer at 17.0 points per game. He is shooting 56.3 percent from the field, including 46.7 percent behind the arc

 
THE SERIES WITH THE MUSTANGS
It's a matchup that dates all the way back to Dec. 1, 1973, but there has only been 18 games played between the two schools overall. WNMU was the winner in the first three meetings, two in the 1970s and one in 1991. The Chaps and Mustangs faced off several times throughout the '90s with wins on both sides. LCU on Feb. 26, 1994, 65-64, and the Chaps have won every meeting since then – seven straight wins. With a pair of wins in the Rip Griffin Center last year, Lubbock Christian took the all-time lead in the series, 10-8.