NO. 2 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (14-0, 12-0 LSC)
vs. UT PERMIAN BASIN (8-7, 7-7 LSC)
Friday, February 19 – 5 PM
Falcon Dome (Odessa, Texas)
All-Time Series: LCU leads 13-5
 
SNOW PROBLEM!
After a pair of non-conference games against Western New Mexico last weekend, Lubbock Christian University returns to Lone Star Conference and West Division play this week with a home-and-home against UT Permian Basin. Dates and times for both games have been adjusted, thanks to the winter storm covering the entire state of Texas. The Chaps also had a game canceled earlier this week against Texas A&M-Commerce, which was supposed to happen Monday but was also canceled because of the storm.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
LCU enters this weekend's games ranked No. 2 in the D2SIDA National Top-25 Poll, which is the highest ranking in program history. The Chaps' previous highest ranking ever was No. 4, which they achieved last week and from Jan. 20-27, 2004 when they were still in the NAIA. Only Northwest Missouri State is above them in the D2SIDA Poll. In the NABC National Top-25 Poll, Lubbock Christian held firm at No. 9 with 267 points. LSC foe West Texas A&M is above them in the NABC Poll, ranking No. 4.
 
PERFECT STORM
No, we're not talking about the winter weather that has covered Texas this week. More about the fact that the Lubbock Christian men's basketball team has started the season a perfect 14-0 record, breaking the program record for best start to a season, which was previously 10-0 and set in the 1996-97 season. This year's Chaps surpassed that mark more than two weeks ago and haven't slowed down yet. The odds have been somewhat in LCU's favor. Currently, only one of the teams they've played this season has a winning record (Midwestern State) and the Falcons will be the second. Only nine other teams in NCAA Division II are still undefeated, but only one other squad (Northern State) has 14 games played like LCU.
 
SHARING AND CARING
The Chaps currently rank No. 4 nationally in assists per game and No. 2 in assist/turnover ratio, with both marks leading the LSC. They are currently averaging 18.9 assists and only 10.8 turnovers per game for an assist to turnover ratio of 1.75. Guard Cameron Copley makes up a larger number of those assists with 5.3 per game, ranking No. 3 in the LSC and No. 15 nationally. Lloyd Daniels (3.1) and Rowan Mackenzie (3.0) are also averaging multiple assists per game for the Chaps.
 
ROAD JOURNAL
LCU has played eight road games so far this season, facing Oklahoma Christian, UT Tyler, Angelo State, Midwestern State and Arkansas-Fort Smith on their respective home courts. The Chaps have won those eight games by an average of 11.1 points, scoring 78.0 points themselves while allowing 66.9 points. Parker Hicks (16.1), Daniels (12.9), Mackenzie (11.6) and Aamer Muhammad (10.0) are all averaging double-figures on the road this season.
 
WHEN AT HOME
The Chaps have played six of this season's games inside the Rip Griffin Center and are a perfect 6-0 there. They have dominated opponents at their home facility, winning by an average margin of 27 points. LCU has averaged 83.7 points per game while limiting opponents to 56.7. Gonzalo Corbalan is the only Chaparral player to average double-figures at home but not on the road. He has scored 10.0 points per home game on 73.3 percent shooting.
 
FAIR OR FOUL
Through their first 14 games this season, the Chaps have averaged just 14.1 personal fouls per game, which is the seventh-lowest mark in the nation. In total, LCU players have committed just 198 fouls. Daniels, who leads the team in minutes played with 33.4 per game, has committed just 10 fouls all year. Chap opponents have shot just 208 free throws this season, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the LSC, and LCU opponents have struggled at the free throw line, making only 65.9 percent of their free throw chances.
 
SHARP-SHOOTERS
The Chaps have also been an excellent shooting team overall, hitting 52.1 percent of their shots from the field (No. 6 in D-II) and 42.3 percent of their three-point attempts (No. 7 in D-II). Both Hicks (No. 3) and Daniels (No. 4) rank in the top ten in the LSC in field goal percentage, with marks of 57.6 percent and 54.4 percent, respectively. Corbalan has also shot an extremely efficient 64.8 percent from the field, but his 71 field goals attempted do not qualify him for the conference leaderboard.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS

• UT Permian Basin has one of the better offenses in the league, averaging 79.7 points per game, but they are the second-worst defensive team, allowing opponents to score 83.1 points per game against them.
• Two players on the Falcon roster – Jay Workman and Brandon Burrell – previously played at Lubbock Christian. Workman appeared in 75 games (42 starts) across three seasons, averaging 7.5 points per game on 44.9 percent shooting. Burrell was at LCU for just two seasons, appearing in 41 games and scoring just 42 points overall.
•  A large part of the UTPB offense is their ability to get to the free throw line, which they have done 340 times this year (second in the LSC). They are not particularly efficient at the charity stripe though, hitting only 70.6 percent of their attempts (sixth-worth in the LSC).
• Falcon Jordan Horn ranks fourth in the LSC in scoring and leads UTPB with 20.2 points per game this year. He has reached that mark on 43.7 percent shooting, including a 34.7 percent mark from behind the arc.
• UTPB has the fourth-worst turnover margin in the conference at -1.93. They turn the ball over 15.9 times per game and only force 13.9 turnovers.

 
THE SERIES WITH THE FALCONS
Lubbock Christian took on UT Permian Basin twice in the latter's first season of basketball competition (2002-03), winning 92-49 and 96-66. The Chaps went on to win six more matchups with the Falcons before UTPB finally got a pair of wins in 2015. The series has been more even since then, but LCU's early lead has them ahead 13-5 in the all-time series. The two teams split their matchups last season, with each team winning on their home floor.