NO. 2-seed LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (17-2, 15-1 LSC)
vs. NO. 6-seed OKLAHOMA BAPTIST(16-5, 14-3 GAC)
Sunday, March 14 – 5 PM
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
All-Time Series: OBU leads 34-11
 
LET THE MADNESS BEGIN
The calendar has turned to March, and in college basketball that means it is time for the madness of postseason basketball. The Chaparrals are lucky enough this year to get to continue playing on their home floor for the 2021 NCAA South Central Regional, as Lubbock Christian earned the bid to host earlier this spring, even though LCU enters the tournament at the No. 2 seed. Their seed did come with a first round bye though, putting them straight through to the tournament semifinals. And in the quarterfinal round, it was the lower seeds that made hay, leading to LCU's Sunday matchup with Oklahoma Baptist.
 
LCU AT THE REGIONAL
This is the third time in the five seasons they have been eligible that the Chaparrals have earned a spot in the regional tournament, and they have posted a 2-2 record in regional games so far. This year is different, however, in that LCU enters their first game as the higher seed. In their first season of postseason eligibility, the Chaps made the tournament as the No. 8 seed, but shocked everyone by upsetting No. 1-seed and host Midwestern State in the first round. Again in 2019, LCU was the No. 6 seed upsetting the No. 3 seed Colorado School of Mines. Both years, the Chap run was cut short in the second round.
 
LONE STAR ROYALTY
When the Lone Star Conference postseason awards were announced last week, seven members of the Lubbock Christian basketball program were honored, including Player of the Year Parker Hicks and Coach of the Year Todd Duncan. Hicks' 16.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game also earned him a spot on the All-Conference First Team, along with Lloyd Daniels. Cameron Copley and Rowan Mackenzie were named to the All-LSC Third Team, and Ty Caswell made it on the All-Academic Team for his performance both on the court and in the classroom. The last Chap honored was Aamer Muhammad, who was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year.
 
SHARP SHOOTING CHAPS
Despite suffering a loss in the first round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament (72-71 vs. SEU), Lubbock Christian once again shot well over 50 percent from the field.  The Chaparrals are one of the most efficient offensive teams in the nation, ranking No. 5 among NCAA Division II schools in field goal percentage (52.3 percent) and No. 1 in three-point field-goal percentage (43.5 percent). Both and Lloyd Daniels (No. 3) and Parker Hicks (No. 5) rank in the top ten in the LSC in field goal percentage, with marks of 59.0 percent and 54.2 percent, respectively. Gonzalo Corbalan has also shot an extremely efficient 63.5 percent from the field, but his 85 field goals attempted do not qualify him for the conference leaderboard.
 
SHARING IS CARING
Lubbock Christian has gone through the 2020-21 season passing the ball better than any other team in NCAA Division II, ranking No. 1 in assist to turnover ratio (1.77) and No. 4 in assists per game (18.4). The Chaps have only turned the ball over more than 15 times in a game twice during the season. Overall, they turn the ball over just 10.4 times per game, which is the lowest mark in the LSC and ranks No. 10 nationally. Cameron Copley is a big part of the assists total, ranking No. 2 in the conference and No. 18 nationally with 5.4 assists per game, but Rowan Mackenzie (2.9) and Daniels (2.8) are also averaging multiple assists per contest.
 
WHERE THE HEART IS
The Chaps will be playing their first NCAA Tournament game inside the Rip Griffin Center on Sunday after going 7-2 there throughout this season. On average, they have been great at "The Rip," scoring 82.1 points per game and allowing only 60.3. They shoot 51.9 percent on their home floor, with Hicks (15.7) and Daniels (16.4) averaging double figures there. LCU has a history of success on their home court, going 108-26 (.803) there under head coach Todd Duncan, and their two home losses this season have been by a combined five points.
 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Even with their cream of the crop field-goal shooting percentage, Lubbock Christian has played lockdown defense this season, limiting opponents to just 64.3 points per game, which is the ninth-best mark in all of Division II. Opponents shoot just 42.5 percent from the field against LCU, which was the second-best mark in the Lone Star Conference this year.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
LCU enters the NCAA Tournament ranked in the top 10 nationally in both Division II polls. They were ranked No. 10 by both the NABC and D2SIDA polls. The Chaps were ranked as high as No. 2 this season, which was the highest ranking in program history.
 
SCOUTING THE BISION

• This is Oklahoma Baptist's first trip to the NCAA Postseason. They would have competed in last year's regional if it had not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• The Bison entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, but advanced to the semifinal round with 76-57 upset of No. 3 seed and fellow Great American Conference member Arkansas Monticello
• Four OBU players average in double-figures this season, including Jarius Hicklen (16.4), Brantly Thompson (14.3), Harrison Stoddart (13.9) and Jaquan Simms (10.6)
• It will be a battle of two coaches of the year when the Bison and Chaps meet up, as OBU head coach Jason Eaker was named the GAC Coach of the Year. Thompson and Hicklen were named to the All-GAC First Team and Stoddart earned a spot on the All-GAC Second Team
• Oklahoma Baptist is one of the best shot-blocking teams in the nation. Their 73 this season rank No. 14 national and led the GAC

 
THE SERIES WITH THE BISON
Lubbock Christian and Oklahoma Baptist are no strangers on the hardwood, having met 45 total times in men's basketball, including a number of matchups when the teams were both in the Sooner Athletic Conference. OBU has dominated the all-time rivalry 34-11, but LCU upset the No. 10-ranked OBU 74-66 in the last meeting between the teams (Feb. 9, 2013).