CARPET TECH CLASSIC
COLORADO STATE PUEBLO (0-1) vs. No.13 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (1-2)
November 12, 2022 • 6:00 PM
Lubbock, Texas • Rip Griffin Center (1,950)
 

CARPET TECH CLASSIC
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
CSU Pueblo	Lubbock, Texas	Sat., Nov. 12	6:00 p.m.	Video	Stats

HOME LOUNGING
No.13 Lubbock Christian University completes their first home weekend of the season and their hosting duties of the Carpet Tech Classic Saturday, as LCU will host Colorado State Pueblo (estimated 6 p.m. tip) after UT Tyler clashes with Colorado Christian (3:30 p.m. start). The home contest is the second game part of a stretch in which LCU plays six of seven games at home.
 
FRIDAY FLASHBACK
LCU received a career-high 14 points from Maci Maddox and the Lady Chaparrals overcame a hot start by Colorado Christian to defeat the Cougars 85-64 Saturday night in their home opener and their opening game of the Carpet Tech Classic inside Rip Griffin Center. The win was LCU's 105^th consecutive home victory. The Lady Chaps forced the Cougars into 23 turnovers, leading to a 28-13 scoring advantage in points off turnovers. LCU was led by Maddox, who was 2-of-2 from three-point range and 6-of-11 from the field for her career-high 14 points. Audrey Robertson (12 points), who had a +35 plus/minus, and Rachel Haase (career-high 10 points) also finished in double figures for LCU. Grace Foster led LCU with 11 rebounds.
 
DON'T DWELL
There was no need to hit the panic button following LCU's first 0-2 start since the 2016-17 season. Last weekend at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Kansas City, LCU fell to No.6 Missouri Southern State (65-64) and to Missouri Western State 101-96 in overtime. The Lady Chaps didn't appear inexperienced (they were opening the season playing with five new starters for the first time in Steve Gomez's 20 seasons at the helm of the Lady Chaps), as they led in the final minute of regulation in each of the games (facing MSSU, the regional favorites according to D2SIDA, and MWSU, who was an Elite Eight qualifier last season).

WILL AND GRACE
The MIAA, hosts of the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic, announced their All-Tournament selections and Grace Foster was Lubbock Christian University's representative on All-Tournament Team. Foster, a sophomore from Childress, Texas, led all players at the tournament, conducted in Kansas City, Mo. at Municipal Auditorium, with 26.0 points per game. Her marquee performance was a 36-point performance against Western State Sunday, as she had LCU's highest single-game point total since Nov. 5, 2010 (Emily Pool, 36 points against Northern New Mexico College) and it tied for the fourth-highest single-game point total in LCU program history. She was 13-of-20 from the field in the game, with her 13 field goals marking the most by a Lady Chap since Mar. 1, 2013 (Kelsey Canavan, 13 against Rogers State). Foster opened the season with her second career double-double, posting 16 points and 11 boards against No.6 Missouri Southern State. With 12 points in the second half against SMSU and 20 points in the second half against MWSU, she averaged 16.0 points in the second half of play on the week. Defensively, she averaged 2.0 blocks per game. Foster's tournament numbers included going 60-percent (6-of-10) from three-point range.

SEASON NOTES AND TRENDS
>Grace Foster had a pair of double-figure (points) contests to open the season, which matched her career-high completed twice her freshman season. She was unable to make it three consecutive games Friday, but she led the team with 11 rebounds for her second game of posting double figures in rebounds. She continues to lead the Lady Chaps in scoring (20.0 average) and rebounds (9.3) this season.
>Rachel Haase and Deja Johnson each made their season debut Friday, with Johnson's also representing her collegiate debut. Haase went 3-of-6 from long range and finished with a career-high 10 points, and Johnson tallied four points in her debut.
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 40.7 rebounds per game through their opening pair of contests, posting a high of 46 against MSSU. LCU has not averaged over 40 rebounds in a season since averaging 40.3 during the 2015-16 season. Grace Foster (9.3), Audrey Robertson (6.0) and Whitney Cox (6.0) are all averaging 6.0-or-more rebounds per game.
> Friday, LCU had a 26-9 scoring advantage from the free-throw line over Colorado Christian, as LCU was 26-of-32 (81.3%) from the line (Grace Foster was 6-of-6). In their prior game (Sunday against Missouri Western), LCU had 29 points from the free-throw line. The 55 free-throws combined over a two-game span is LCU's highest mark since 56 combined free-throws made (over a two-game span) on January 19 and 20 of the 2011-2012 season (against Rogers State and John Brown). On the campaign, LCU is shooting 81.8% (72/88) from the line. Grace Foster is 12-of-12 from the line this season to lead LCU from the line. Audrey Robertson (16-of-19, .842) and Shaylee Stovall (15-of-18, 83.3%) are each shooting over 83.0% from the line (of those reaching minimum requirements).
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 81.7 points per contest (averaged 65.9 per game last season) and they have four players averaging double figures in points. Grace Foster (20.0), Maci Maddox (11.7), Audrey Robertson (11.3) and Rachel Haase (10.0) lead the average scoring pace for the Lady Chaps.

NATIONALLY KNOWN
D2SIDA (Division II Sports Information Directors Association) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) each announced their preseason top-25 rankings for the 2022-2023 season, with D2SIDA ranking Lubbock Christian University No.13 and the WBCA ranking the Lady Chaparrals No.23.

LCU has found their way into the D2SIDA preseason poll nine consecutive seasons, marking every season they have been eligible to appear (due to the transfer from NAIA to NCAA Div. II), ranking No.1 (2019-20 and in 2021-22), No.3 (2018-19 and in 2020-21), No.23 (2017-18), No. 4 (2016-17), No.15 (2015-16) and receiving votes in 2014-15. The Lady Chaps No.13 ranking is the second-best among South Central Region programs, as West Texas A&M holds the No.7 ranking.

The WBCA NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Preseason Poll, which the WBCA did not conduct during the 2020-21 season (COVID), is a poll LCU has consistently debut in each season a poll has been conducted since being eligible. Carrying the No.1 ranking last season, this season's No.23 ranking ends a streak of three consecutive top-10 preseason poll appearances. Along with their three consecutive top-10 debuts (No.1 in 2021-22, No.2 in 2019-20, No. 10 in 2018-19), LCU has claimed No.11 (2016-17) and No.18 (2015-16) in their prior appearances in the poll.

SO ARE SOME OTHERS
LCU faced a nationally ranked program in their season opener (Nov.5), falling to No.6 Southern Missouri State. LCU went 6-0 against nationally ranked programs in 2020-21 and 3-2 in 2021-22 against the nations ranked foes (opened 3-0). LCU's season opener marked the first time since the 2017-18 season opener in Commerce, Texas in which LCU opened against a national ranked opponent (LCU topped No.5 CSU-Pueblo 57-52). TSaturday, with LCU facing a program receiving top-25 votes (CSU Pueblo), three of their four games this season will have been against nationally ranked teams or teams receiving votes.

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
LCU, who went 13-0 at home last season, opened their home slate Friday with a win over Colorado Christian, which has their active home win streak sitting at 105 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 4-0 mark in LSC postseason play), has also won 82 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 29-0 in LSC home games).
 
NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
105 - 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
105 – LCU (Division II)
30 – BYU (Division I)
29 – Two programs tied (BYU, Christopher Newport)
 
NCAA DIVISION LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS BY DIVISION
Division I – 99 – UConn 2006/07 – 2011/12
Division II - 105 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->
Division III – 121 – Amherst Jan. 31, 2009-Feb. 6, 2016
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT CSUP
1 > The ThunderWolves rebounded from a 3-13 season in 2020-21 (all were conference games) with a 23-7 overall record last season and they went 17-5 in conference to tie for second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). They qualified for the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, where they fell to LCU 65-57.
2 > Colorado State Pueblo is preseason picked to finish second in the RMAC, according to the RMAC Preseason Poll. They are receiving votes in the D2SIDA Preseason Top-25 Poll.
3 > CSU-Pueblo played a pair of exhibition games in preparation for the regular season, but each went with unreported scores. They faced Denver and Air Force's junior varsity program. They opened the regular season Friday falling 63-48 to UT Tyler in Lubbock. Morgan Dial and Daeja Johnson each had nine points off the bench to co-lead the ThunderWolves in scoring.
4 > Head coach Tommie Johnson made his ThunderWolves head coaching debut against LCU. The debut marked the third consecutive coaching debut against LCU by a CSU-Pueblo women's basketball head coach. Jim Turgeon (2015) and Curtis Loyd (2017) were prior CSU-Pueblo head coaches who faced LCU in their ThunderWolves coaching debut.
5 > Alisha Davis had some big games against the Lady Chaps last season, as she posted 18 points and 23 points to average 20.5 points per game against the Lady Chaps during the season. She did not play Friday for CSUP.

THE SERIES AGAINST CSUP
LCU leads the all-time series at 7-5 against CSUP (formerly known as Southern Colorado). The home team won the first five meetings, with LCU bucking that trend with a 2015-16 season-opening win in Pueblo. The two teams met twice last season, as LCU fell 64-56 to the ThunderWolves in Lakewood, Colo., but rebounded to defeat CSUP 66-57 on Mar. 11 in Canyon, Texas at the South Central Regional. The first two all-time meetings came down to the final buzzer. On Dec. 9, 1989 in Lubbock, Burgandy Bass hit the game winning shot at the horn for a 58-56 LCU win. Nearly a year later, on Dec. 8, 1989 in Pueblo, LCU rallied back from a 63-55 deficit with 24 points from Sherry Blackwell, but a three-pointer at the buzzer didn't fall and LCU lost 73-72. Six of the prior nine meetings have been in Colorado (four in Pueblo) and under Steve Gomez's watch. LCU has a 3-0 series advantage in Lubbock, with the last Hub City meeting resulting in a 78-74 win  Nov. 9, 2018.
 
ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. CSUP
Here is a look at LCU's top three active leaders career vs. CSUP:

Grace Foster 2 GP, 4.0 pts/g, 3.0 reb/g,  
Audrey Robertson 2 GP, 2.5 pts/g, 2 steals
Maci Maddox 2 GP, 1.5 pts/g, 1/2 3FG

PRIOR MEETING VS. CSUP
CANYON, Texas (March 11, 2022) - No.9 Lubbock Christian University made 10 of their final 13 shot attempts to surge past No.6-seed Colorado State Pueblo 65-57 in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball South Central Regional inside First United Bank Center.

LCU's 10-of-13 (76.9%) shooting flow opened with 2:03 left in the third quarter, and it came at an opportune time for the Lady Chaps. Trailing 40-38, Channing Cunyus hit a jumper with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter to tie the game 40-40. Cunyus' bucket opened a 5-0 run to help give LCU. 43-40 lead. The Lady Chaps, behind seven points in the third quarter from Laynee Burr, led 44-42 at the end of the third quarter.

The Lady Chaps, scoring six of the final eight points of the third quarter, opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run (Burr with three of the points off a strong inside three-point play) to give LCU an 11-2 run and a 49-42 lead 1:26 into the final frame. The ThunderWolves responded with a 5-0 run after a Tomia Johnson three-pointer, cutting LCU's lead to 49-47, but CSU Pueblo would be unable to produce a scoring run for the game's final 7:46. Ashton Duncan nailed a three-pointer over 5-1 run in which she scored all five points, and Duncan's efforts built the lead to 54-48 with 6:08 remaining. Teams traded buckets, until an Allie Schulte field goal with 3:55 left sparked a 7-0 run for a 65-54 lead with 19 seconds remaining.

Schulte (8) and Duncan (7) combined for 15 points in the fourth quarter, with an additional five points supplied by Burr. LCU was 8-of-11 (72.7%) from the field in the fourth quarter.

LCU also produced an offensive quarter in the first quarter, but it took a bit to get going. Thankful for CSU Pueblo's 1-of-11 start of the game from the field, LCU was able to miss their first four shot attempts before making eight of their next nine attempts. LCU's first field goal came 3:15 into the game off a three-pointer from Duncan, who made her first two attempts to lead an 8-0 run for an 8-2 lead with 5:33 left in the quarter. The scoring push for LCU was during a span in which the T'Wolves went 5:28 without a field goal, and turned into a 13-2 run between CSU Pueblo field goals for the Lady Chaps. Burr hit a three-pointer with 34 seconds left in the quarter for a 20-10 lead, which was LCU's largest lead of the first half. Duncan led LCU with eight points in the first quarter, as LCU led 20-12 at the quarter's close.

The Lady Chaps went a span of 2-of-15 (13.3%) shooting from the field, and the shooting woes allowed CSU Pueblo to march back. A 12-4 scoring advantage by the ThunderWolves allowed them to tie the game at 26-26 with 3:09 left in the first half. Juliana Robertson scored four consecutive points with 2:18 left in the half and it led to LCU leading 30-29 at the half.

Robertson led LCU in scoring in the opening half with 10 points. She finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, which helped her record 94 career rebounds in NCAA postseason play for a new LCU career high (for NCAA postseason games). She was one of four Lady Chaps to finish in double figures in points. Burr led all Lady Chaps with 17 points. Duncan (15) and Schulte (13) joined Burr and Robertson in double figures.  LCU also received a career-high five steals from Cunyus.

Alisha Davis, who scored 18 points in CSU Pueblo's win over LCU in November, led all scorers with 23 points Friday. She was CSU Pueblos' only player with at least 10 points.