ODESSA, Texas (January 29, 2022) – Draining six three-pointers in the process, Channing Cunyus posted a career-high 24 points and combined with Allie Schulte (19 points) for 43 points to help No.8 Lubbock Christian University defeat University of Texas of the Permian Basin 83-61 Saturday in Lone Star Conference play inside Falcon Dome.
 
Cunyus opened her scoring splurge early, hitting all three three-pointers she attempted in the opening quarter. LCU, coming off a season-low in three-point goals Thursday (1 at Angelo State), avoided a repeat performance by attempting their first six field goal attempts from beyond the arc. Half of the attempts went in during the opening 4:26, with Cunyus hitting a pair of attempts and Schulte hitting the other for a 9-4 LCU lead. Audrey Robertson had nine points in the first quarter and all nine were scored in a two-minute span, including her own 6-0 run for a 15-9 LCU lead with 4:33 left in the quarter. Robertson and Cunyus each had a three-pointer inside the final four minutes of the first quarter to give LCU five three-pointers and a 23-16 lead at the close of the quarter.
 
The first six points of the second quarter were from long distance shots from Cunyus, who gave LCU a 29-16 lead a minute into the second quarter. The two teams traded points throughout the quarter, with Cunyus leading all players with eight points in the frame. Holly Hemmeline and Alexus Wykoff each had six points for UTPB in the quarter. Hemmeline hit a three-pointer inside the final 10 seconds of the half to place the halftime score at 40-33.
 
Wykoff had a layup for the first points of the second half, cutting LCU's lead to 40-35, but Cunyus' jumper in response ignited a 13-0 LCU run for a 53-35 lead with 4:44 remaining in the third quarter. Schulte had LCU's final four points of the quarter and finished with 10 points in the quarter for a 65-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Cunyus' final three-pointer was made with 7:22 into the fourth quarter and it opened a 7-0 run to place LCU up 74-51. LCU played 14 players in the fourth quarter, and all were solid from the field. The Lady Chaps shot 57.1% (8/14) from the field in the final quarter to maintain their lead.
 
The Lady Chaps shot a season-high 56.1% (32-57) from the field, which is their best shooting mark in a game since Mar. 5, 2020 against Angelo State. LCU was 10-of-27 (37%) from three-point range. Cunyus was 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-8 from three-point range, as her 24 points topped her prior career high of 14 points. The 24 points also matched a 24-point output on Jan. 22 (vs. St. Mary's) by Ashton Duncan for the team's individual high this season. Cunyus' six three-pointers also marks the third time this season a Lady Chap has made six or more three-pointers in a game this season.
 
Schulte had 12 points in the second half and finished the game with 19 points, six assists and four steals. She had a mark of +29 (plus/minus) while on the floor and the team was outscored by seven points when she was not on the court. LCU also received 11 points each from Laynee Burr and Audrey Robertson. The win places LCU with a 17-4 overall record and a 6-3 record in LSC play.
 
UTPB remains winless in LSC play (0-7) and they drop to 4-15 overall. Avalon Munoz and Hemmeline co-led UTPB with 12 points. Wykoff finished with 11 points.
 
LCU improved to 26-0 all-time against UTPB and 10-0 against the Falcons in Odessa.
 
TURNING POINT
LCU's season-high shooting performance had two hot sequences. They opened the game 12-of-18 before ever missing consecutive field goal attempts. In the third quarter, LCU went on a 13-0 run off 5-of-8 shooting. The sequence was part of a 10-of-14 shooting stretch in the third quarter for the Lady Chaps, which began with LCU leading 40-35 and concluded with them leading 65-45.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
For a second consecutive game, LCU had a season-low in turnovers (had seven in each game). They forced UTPB into 16 turnovers and the difference resulted into a 21-4 scoring advantage in points-off-turnovers.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU returns home Monday to host Oklahoma Christian at 5:30 p.m. The game is the make-up date for a Jan. 8 originally scheduled contest, which had been postponed.