IN THE AREA
No.8 Lubbock Christian University will be back on the road this week, in Lone Star Conference play, but their trip will involve regional trips, with a stop Thursday in San Angelo, Texas (face Angelo State at 5:30 p.m.) and Saturday in Odessa, Texas (facing UT Permian Basin at 2 p.m.). The contest in San Angelo starts a sequence of three games in a five-day span, as LCU will return home Monday to host Oklahoma Christian.  
 
CHAP NOTES

• > Allie Schulte, who actively ranks for playing in the second-most games in NCAA Division II (142 games played in her career), leads the squad in scoring with an average of 11.8 points per game. She also leads the team is assists (67) and steals (60). Her 67 assists ranks fourth in the conference, with a pace of 3.5 per game (11th in the LSC), and her 60 steals is second in the nation (Ashley Steffeck has 64). She has 31 steals in conference play (has her with 4.4 steals per conference game), with a career-high eight steals on Jan. 2 at Texas A&M International. The 60 steals also has her with 289 career steals, which is the second active leading mark in career steals in NCAA Division II (second highest mark in program history). 
• > Ashton Duncan leads LCU with 52 three-pointers, averaging 2.74 per game (second in the conference). The 52 three-pointers ranks 10^th in the nation and leads the LSC (Taylor Flores of Arkansas - Monticello leads the nation with 63). Duncan, who 64 points shy of 1,000 career points, is second on the team averaging 11.4 points per game. She matched a program single-game record with 8 three-pointers Saturday against St. Mary's (second time in her career), which placed her with 238 career three pointers and moved her into third in program history (passed Sierra Lovorn (Wilcox), who had 234 three-pointers from 2005-2009). She needs 11 three-points to reach 249 three-pointers, which would move her past Jordan Hampton (248 from 2005-09) and into second in program history.  Duncan's 238 career three-pointers ranks 11^th actively in NCAA Division II for career three-pointers.
• > The Lady Chaps have claimed the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor in four of the nine weeks the award has been issued. Allie Schulte has received the honor twice, with teammates Grace Foster and Juliana Robertson also receiving the award. Overall for Offensive and Defensive, LCU has claimed five LSC honors issued this season (four defensive and one offensive).
• > Laynee Burr, who has two performances of at least 18 points this season, is averaging 8.2 points per game. A member of the DII CCA Tip-Off Classic at the Trailhead All-Tournament Team selection, Burr enters Thursday's play 15^th in the conference in assists with 47 on the season.
• > LCU opened the season making their first 14 free-throw attempts and are 77.5% (210/271) from the free-throw line, which ranks 22^nd nationally. From their game against Tampa (Nov. 7) to their game at Colorado Christian (Nov.12), in which they made 13 consecutive free-throws to start the game, LCU made a sequence of 17 consecutive free-throws. They topped that mark in their opening home stand of the season, making 43 consecutive free-throws (They made 28 straight free-throws in their game against Lander as part of the sequence). Schulte, who is 23-of-23 on the season from the line in the fourth quarter of games, is 50-of-56 (89.3%) from the free-throw line on the season, which is 11^th nationally.
• > Grace Foster and Juliana Robertson have provided LCU strong defensive play inside the perimeter. Robertson ranks fifth in the LSC in rebounds (135) and third in defensive rebounds per game (5.7). Last Thursday against St. Edward's, Robertson matched career highs in blocks (4) and steals (4). She posted a career-high 18-rebound performance at Tyler on Jan. 15 (most by a Lady Chaps member since Kellyn Schneider posted 18 rebounds on the exact date in 2015 against Rogers State). Foster, who had her first collegiate double-double (20 points and 11 rebounds) and career-high six blocks on Jan. 13 at Texas A&M-Commerce, leads LCU in blocks (19, sixth in the LSC), with Robertson ranking second with 16 blocks (ninth in the LSC). Foster has been LCU's leading scorer in four of their last nine games and is averaging 8.1 points a game in conference play (third on the team).
• > LCU is 12th nationally in turnovers…or lack thereof, as they average 12.4 per game. The stat has Allie Schulte second in the LSC in assist/turnover ratio at 2.39. As a team, LCU ranks 28^th nationally and leading the LSC for team assist/turnover ratio (1.09).

 
D-UP!
LCU defensively has held opponents to an average of 49.9 points a game, which ranks third nationally. Lady Chap opponents have been held to under 50 points in 11 of their 19 games this season.
 
ROADIES
LCU is 6-2 in road contests this season, with Ashton Duncan leading the squad averaging 12.0 points per game on the road (Allie Schulte is right with Duncan, averaging 11.9 points a game on the road). The Lady Chaps are averaging a point-margin of 10.2 in road contests. They are shooting 41.6% on the road, while holding the home team to 36.8% shooting from the field. LCU has an 89-43 advantage in steals on the road, with Allie Schulte averaging 4.4 per game. Ashton Duncan has 23 three-pointers on the road this season. Juliana Robertson leads LCU averaging 7.8 rebounds per game on the road.
 
SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
LCU went 13-0 at home season, culminating with the LSC Championships and becoming the first team since 2007 to win the LSC Championship tournament on a campus venue. They are 7-0 at home this season, which has their active home win streak sitting at 98 games (it is the active and all-time leading mark in NCAA Division II women's basketball). LCU's last home loss came on Jan. 1, 2015 against Oklahoma City University. LCU, who also has a 7-0 mark in NCAA postseason play in Lubbock in the mix (not including a 3-0 mark in LSC postseason play), has also won 77 consecutive home conference games, with their last conference home loss occurring Jan. 10, 2013 (against Oklahoma City). They completed a 49-0 all-time mark in Heartland Conference home games (they are 25-0 in LSC home games).
 
NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
98 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->
87 - Neb.-Kearney Jan. 31, 1995-Nov. 24, 2001
85 - West Tex. A&M Jan. 9, 1987-Dec. 6, 1991
 
NCAA'S ACTIVE-LEADING HOME WIN STREAKS
97 – LCU (Division II)
45 – North Georgia (Division II)
42 – Hope (Division III)
 
NCAA DIVISION LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
BY DIVISION
Division I – 99 – UConn 2006/07 – 2011/12
Division II - 98 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->
Division III – 121 – Amherst Jan. 31, 2009-Feb. 6, 2016

EYE-OPENING
The 2021-22 season marks LCU's ninth since leaving the NAIA, and heading into Thursday's action, LCU is 230-32 in that span (87.8%). In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 20-1 all-time.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
The Lady Chaps claimed the No.1 spot in the WBCA's National Top-25 Preseason Poll for the first time in program history this year, and also for the first time they were the favorites in both the WBCA and D2SIDA preseason polls. LCU fell to CSU Pueblo in Lakewood, Colo., which ended their 39-game win streak and knocked them out of the No.1 spot. For three consecutive polls, LCU was not in the No.1 spot, but they worked their way back to the top spot in the WBCA poll. Their return to No.1 status lasted through two WBCA and one D2SIDA poll before their loss at Texas A&M-Kingsville resulted in them showing up at No.6 (WBCA) and No.7 (D2SIDA) in the following week's polls. They worked back up to No.2 (D2SIDA) and No.4 (WBCA), but fell to No.10 last week (both polls) after falling at A&M-Commerce. They are currently No.8 in WBCA and No.11 in D2SIDA. Overall this season, LCU has been No.1 in three WBCA polls and two D2SIDA polls (They have been in the Top-10 all season in the WBCA).
 
On Dec.14, both LCU women's and men's basketball programs were each No.1 in their respective polls, marking the first time in LCU history in which LCU's men's and women's basketball programs were each ranked No.1 at the same time.
 
SO ARE SOME OTHERS
Thursday, LCU fell at No.6 Texas A&M-Commerce, which was their first loss of the season against a Top-25 nationally ranked opponent (it has been their only road game against a nationally ranked opponent this season). LCU went 6-0 against nationally ranked programs last season and 4-2 in 2019-20 against the nations ranked foes. This season, LCU is 3-1 against ranked opponents, as they have defeated No.11 Tampa (Nov. 7 in Billings, Mont.), No.1 Lander (Nov. 19 in Lubbock) and No.20 Daemen (Nov. 20 in Lubbock).
 
STARS IN THE CONFERENCE
LCU is 37-5 all-time in Lone Star Conference play and they had a 22-game win streak snapped Dec. 31 in their loss at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Lady Chaps went 13-0 in LSC play last season and they are 5-2 in conference play this season, with Allie Schulte averaging 11.6 points per game. She is also averaging 4.4 steals per conference contest. LCU is averaging 12.7 steals per conference game and have forced opponents into an average of 21.1 turnovers per game. Grace Foster is averaging 10.2 points the past five LSC contests and Ashton Duncan is averaging 15.7 points per game the over the prior three LSC contests.
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT ASU
1 > The Belles head into Thursday 5-10 on the season. They have an 2-2 mark in LSC play, falling 100-68 at Cameron Saturday to end a two-game win streak.
2 > ASU, who entered the season No.15 in the LSC Preseason Poll, has Blakely Gerber in LSC play, averaging 14.3 points a game in conference competition. The Belles have five players averaging double figures in conference play.  
3 > Angelo State is 4-2 this season at home and have won four consecutive home games.  
4 > The contest will mark LCU's first game to face the Belles with Alesha Ellis as their head coach. It marks the second-ever meeting between LCU's head coach Steve Gomez and Ellis. LCU faced an Ellis-led Wayland Baptist program during the 2016-17 season in Lubbock (LCU won 72-50 on Nov. 21, 2016).
5 > The Belles rank 55^th nationally and third in the LSC in assists per game (15.3). Payton Brown is third in the LSC with 4.4 assists per game. She also ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (1.69).

THE SERIES AGAINST ASU
LCU leads the series with a 15-3 all-time mark. LCU swept the regular season meetings last season with a home-and-home series (it was the season opening series for the Belles). They opened last season's series in San Angelo, with LCU winning 77-46 to improve to 6-1 all-time in San Angelo. The two teams have met 10 times since 2012, but had not met since Nov. 30, 2001 prior to that. The last ASU win in the series was their victory on Dec. 29, 2000, as LCU has won 11 consecutive meetings.

ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. ASU
Here is a look at LCU's top three active leaders career vs. ASU:
 
Allie Schulte 7gp – 12.9 pts/g, 11/24 3-pt fg (45.8%), 2.3 stl/g
Ashton Duncan 6gp – 10.5 pts/g, 15/31 3-pt fg (48.4%)
Channing Cunyus 5gp – 7.0 pts/g, 7/11 3-pt fg (63.6%)
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. ASU
LUBBOCK, Texas (January 16, 2021) - No.3 Lubbock Christian University connected on 11 three-pointers in the opening half and used a 17-0 run in the first quarter to dash past Angelo State 77-46 for a Lone Star Conference West Division victory inside Rip Griffin Center, where LCU's home win streak was extended to 81 consecutive wins (leads all of NCAA women's basketball for active home win streaks).

LCU, playing in their first home game since December 12, 2020, took advantage of lost time entertaining a COVID-19 50%-capacity sellout crowd with hot shooting to start the game. Their first shot attempt did not fall, but after a Sadie Misner three-pointer provided a 3-0 lead for the Belles, LCU made five straight field goals, with Allie Schulte and Ashton Duncan connecting 26 seconds apart.

The sequence of made field goals led to a 17-0 LCU run, capped by Duncan's second three-pointer of the run. Duncan would connect on three three-pointers in the quarter, as LCU hit five in the quarter and led 25-10 at the end of the quarter.

The mark was topped in the second quarter. LCU made five consecutive field goal attempts and all five were from long distance. Schulte and Savannah Sumrall each had a pair, and Audrey Robertson also connected during the stretch. The first four came during a 12-0 run to put LCU's lead at 39-13 with 5:45 left in the half.

LCU made eight field goals in the quarter, and six consecutive made field goals were three-pointers. They finished with 11 in the half on 18 attempts for a 61.1% mark. Duncan was 4-of-5 and Schulte was 3-of-4 in the half, as LCU had a 47-22 halftime lead.

The Lady Chaps opted for close-range shot attempts in the second half, only firing away on three outside attempts in the quarter. As LCU gradually worked their bench into the contest, LCU would receive points from seven different players in the quarter, with eight points coming off the bench.

The bench had a late spark in the third quarter, which drifted into the fourth quarter, as LCU went a seven-minute stretch in which they were 7-of-10 from the field. The sequence would contain all three of LCU's three-pointers of the second half (all from three different players). Sumrall had one of the three-pointers, and it provided LCU their largest lead of the game (68-30 with 8:46 left in the fourth quarter.

LCU would not fare well down the stretch, making two of their final nine shot attempts of the game. The Lady Chaps did not score in the game's final 3:50, but the best the Belles could do was receive a Madeline Stephens three-pointer in the closing span.

ASU would hit four three-pointers in the quarter. They finished with 18 field goals, with seven coming from long range. Stephens led ASU with 17 points, and Sawyer Lloyd added 13.

The Lady Chaps had an abnormal stat line in shooting. They shot 46.7% (28/60) from the field, but 56% (14/25) from beyond the arc. That placed LCU's shooting percentage at 40% (14/35) for inside the perimeter. LCU finished with six players connecting with at least one three-pointer (four had at least two). Duncan (4-of-5), Sumrall (3-of-4) and Schulte (3-of-5) combined to go 10-of-14 (71.4%) from outside. LCU's 14 three-pointers I their second highest total of the season (15 on Dec. 11 vs. St. Mary's).

Schulte, who was +35 (plus/minus) in 23 minutes played, led LCU with 15 points. Duncan was LCU's only other player in double figures, finishing with 14 points.

LCU was unable to extend their streak of consecutive games with at least 10 steals (ended at five games), but they did force ASU into 20 turnovers (LCU had 10). The turnovers forced led to LCU outscoring ASU 22-8 in points off turnovers.