Box Score ODESSA, Texas (January 29, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University extended its win streak to 19 games Saturday afternoon, defeating a hot-shooting UT Permian Basin 80-73.
 
Playing without their point guard DaJuan Jones, who is the conference leader in assists per game, the Falcons gave the Chaps all they had, and hit well enough from behind the arc in the second half (47.1 percent) to keep within striking distance, but LCU prevailed to remain undefeated (19-0, 7-0 LSC).
 
Lubbock Christian shot 49 percent from the game overall, and they were the hot team from behind the arc in the first half, when they went 7-for-14. Lloyd Daniels opened the scoring in the game with a layup after a defensive stop from the Chaps. UTPB stayed right with LCU early though, and took their first lead of the game when Miles Daniels got three points the hard way at the 13:38 mark.
 
The Falcons had two other brief three-point leads over the next two minutes until the Chaps took the lead for good with 9:34 left in the first half on a three-pointer from Aaron Gonzales. But leading the rest of the way did not mean the game was ever comfortable for the Chaps. LCU led by as many as seven in the opening period with 4:13 left but were up only two when the buzzer sounded for the teams to head to the locker room.
 
Early on in the second half, it looked like the Chaps were going to pull ahead and run away with the win. Baskets from Hicks and Jalen Brattain started the period, and halfway through the period Lloyd Daniels hit a jumper and was fouled, making the free throw to put Lubbock Christian ahead by 14.
 
Miles Daniels kept his team in it though, scoring the game's next eight points all on his own and cutting the UTPB deficit back to just six points with 8:58 left to play. He finished with 21 points in the loss, 15 of which came in the second half.
 
Cameron Copley finally broke the run with a layup and LCU started to get to the free throw line as the game neared its end. They even pushed the lead back out to double-digits with 5:22 remaining when Hicks picked up a loose ball and threw down a vicious fast-break dunk, and they lead was 14 points with just 1:43 left in the game.
 
Still, the Falcons wouldn't give up, getting another three-pointer from Miles Daniels and one from Jordan Horn to pull within six just a minute later. Fouling to stop the clock now though, it would take missed free throws from the Chaps for UTPB to have a chance. The Chaps were 7-8 from the line in the final minute of play to hold on to the win.
 
TURNING POINT
LCU's 13-6 run from the 6:27 mark to the 1:43 mark of the second half wasn't exactly dominant, as the Falcons hit two three-pointers during that time, but it did give them enough of a cushion to withstand UTPB's final push with just over a minute to go.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
UTPB shot 42.9 percent from beyond the arc in the game, which is the second-highest three-point shooting percentage by a Chap opponent this season. Only Arlington Baptist shot better against LCU at 57.1 percent (12-21) on Nov. 20.
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian gets to return home now, where they will host Midwestern State at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.