TYLER, Texas (January 15, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University was down by six at halftime and trailed for more time than it led in Saturday's matchup with UT Tyler, but the Chaps pulled away late and won 74-69 at the Herrington Patriot Center.
 
The win moved LCU to 16-0 on the season and 4-0 in Lone Star Conference play. The Chaps have now matched the best start in program history, which was set during the 2020-21 season. LCU is one of only two teams still undefeated in LSC play. Texas A&M International is the other, but the Dustdevils have played just two conference contests.
 
A victory for the Chaparrals on Saturday, however, was in doubt for quite some time. Lubbock Christian missed its first five shot attempts and turned the ball over once as UT Tyler went up 5-0 in the first 3:30 of play. Rowan Mackenzie finally got the Chaps on the board with a layup at the 16:36 mark, setting the tone for a great game from the Aussie.
 
Mackenzie was the team's leading scorer for only the third time this season, pouring in 18 points against the Patriots. On the floor for 34 minutes, he was 6-11 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line. Eleven of his points came in the second half.
 
LCU was able to take a first half lead, going in front for the first time with 12:24 left to play thanks to a three-pointer from freshman Aaron Gonzales. The Chaps even led by as many as five points with 6:33 before the break when Mackenzie hit from behind the arc. On the following UT Tyler possession though, Parker Hicks was called for his second foul, so he was pulled from the game. From that point until the end of the half, UTT out-scored the Chaps 17-7, allowing them to take a six-point lead into the locker room.
 
The break, though, seemed to make the Patriot shooters cold. Or maybe LCU's defense was just that much more locked in during the final 20 minutes of play. Either way, it worked out for the Chaps, as UT Tyler went without a field goal for the first 10:07 of the second half. They scored five points in that time on free throws, but by the time Eysan Wiley made a layup for the first UTT basket of the second half, Lubbock Christian had turned a six-point deficit into a two-point lead.
 
And the Patriots didn't heat up after the Wiley bucket. They made only five more shots from the field for the rest of the half, and three of those came in the game's final minute. UT Tyler shot 6-24 (25 percent) in the second half.
 
Meanwhile, LCU shot 57.9 percent in the game's final 20 minutes. A three-pointer from Hicks at the 10:38 mark put them on top for the first time in the half, and they stayed ahead for the rest of the game. A jumper from Aamer Muhammad with 4:20 remaining increased the Chap lead to 10, but Micah Fuller got to the free throw line and cut it back to single digits.
 
Free throws were key for the Chaps down the stretch to stay in front, and they finished the game 19-23 (82.6 percent) from the line to close out the win.
 
TURNING POINT
LCU's lockdown defense in the first 10 minutes of the second half allowed them to go on a 15-5 run, taking a lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Hicks and Muhammad joined Mackenzie in double-figures, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively. LCU's leading rebounder was Jalen Brattain, as the Shallowater native pulled down a career-high 10 boards. He also scored eight points and blocked a shot.
 
NEXT UP
The Chaps will go for win No. 17 and the program record for best start on their home court, as they host St. Edward's at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the Rip Griffin Center.