SILVER CITY, New Mexico (December 11, 2021) – Led by a career-high 31 points from sophomore guard Aamer Muhammad, Lubbock Christian University blew past Western New Mexico 96-55 on Saturday at Drag's Court.
 
Muhammad's 31 points surpassed his previous career-high of 25, which he set earlier this season against West Texas A&M. It also marks the most points scored in a single game by an LSC player this year, passing the 30 scored by Matthew Wilson of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Nov. 27 against Harding. Muhammad was 11-for-16 from the floor, including a scorching 6-for-8 from behind the arc.
 
The Chaparrals (9-0) also set a new season-high with their 96 total points, out-pacing the 93 they scored on Monday against Oklahoma City. Fifty-seven of those points came in the first half, when LCU shot 61.76 percent from the field.
 
The game was tight early on though, as the team's traded buckets to a 10-10 tie at the 16:03 mark. That was the last time the game would be tied though, as Rowan Mackenzie hit a jumper to spark a 11-0 LCU run that put them in control of the game for good.
 
Although it was a huge night for Muhammad, early a lot of the Chap scoring came from Lloyd Daniels, who was the first Lubbock Christian player to reach double-figures. He had 12 of his 14 total points in the first half, adding in four assists and three rebounds as well.
 
Daniels started another Chap run at the 11:54 mark by nailing a three-pointer, and this time LCU went for 13 straight points, pushing the lead out to 22 points. WNMU briefly cut the lead back down to 18, but Lubbock Christian closed the half on an 18-6 run and led by an even 30 points at the break.
 
Muhammad scored the first five points of the second half to increase the Chap lead, but the Mustangs kept it around the 35-point mark for the first seven minutes of play. At the 13:44 mark, the sophomore put the Chaps on top by 40 with another three-pointer.
 
LCU's lead got to its widest point overall with 9:18 remaining when Jalen Brattain hit a three-pointer. With the Chaps having emptied their bench right before that point, WNMU was able to cut the deficit down with a 10-2 run, but they never pulled closer than 39. A layup from Brattain with 38 seconds left was the last basket by the Chaps, as they won by 41 points.
 
Besides Muhammad and Daniels, Parker Hicks and Rowan Mackenzie also finished in double-figures. Hicks had 16 points and led the team with eight rebounds while Mackenzie contributed 12 points and a team-high eight assists.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
59.0 | Lubbock Christian hit 36-of-61 from the field, shooting above the 50 percent mark for the sixth time this season
31 | The last time an LCU player scored more than 31 points in a game was Feb. 5, 2021 when Gonzalo Corbalan went for 32 against Arkansas-Fort Smith
9 | LCU's nine steals were their most in a single game this season, as were the 17 turnovers they forced overall. Muhammad had three of the steals, and Hicks and Mackenzie had a pair each
 
NEXT UP
The Chaparrals face a short turnaround, as they host Cameron at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Rip Griffin Center for a nonconference matchup.