KANSAS CITY, Mo. (November 5, 2022) – No.13 Lubbock Christian University received a double-double from Grace Foster (16 points, 11 rebounds), but a pair of field goal attempts on the Lady Chaparrals final possession would not fall and LCU opened the 2022-23 regular season and their play in the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic with a 65-64 loss to No.6 Missouri Southern State Saturday afternoon inside Municipal Auditorium.
 
The Lions took the lead (65-64) with a Lacy Stokes layup with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. LCU had an open look with 22 seconds remaining, but Maci Maddox's pull-up jumper didn't fall. The rebound deflected out of bounds and LCU was able to retain possession. The Lady Chaps worked the clock, and with three seconds left, Whitney Cox pivoted in the paint and put up a shot that rolled off the rim and time expired.
 
There were 11 lead changes in the game and the neither team lead by more than seven points. LCU's seven-point advantage came early. Trailing 7-4 less than three minutes into the game, LCU used a pair of points from four different players to go on an 8-0 run for a 12-7 lead with 3:07 left in the quarter. Cox, who had four points in the opening quarter, put LCU up 18-11 with less than thirty seconds left in the quarter. Six different Lady Chaps contributed points in the opening quarter to help LCU take a seven-point lead into the second quarter.
 
The Lady Chaps went the opening 2:42 of the second quarter without a point and the first 6:26 without a field goal. MSSU outscored LCU 15-4 until Shaylee Stovall ended the drought from the field. Stovall followed with a three-pointer to briefly give LCU a 27-26 lead, as Kaitlin Hunnicutt answered at the other end with a Lions three-pointer. LCU went the final 1:43 of the half without a field goal and trailed 35-33 at the break. Stovall, whose prior career-high mark was six points, tallied nine points in the second quarter and led LCU at the half with 11 points.
 
The third quarter witnessed the score tied on four occasions before MSSU Layne Skiles and Hunnicutt combined for a 5-0 run to put the Lions up 53-48 with 23 seconds left in the quarter. Foster was 2-of-3 from three-point range and led LCU with eight points in the quarter.
 
Stokes, who led all scorers with 19 points, opened the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws to build the Lions lead to its largest at 55-48. LCU was able to get interior points from Reese Schumann and Audrey Spurgin to get an 8-0 run going, and with 3:48 remaining, Foster's layup put LCU up 61-59. Schumann had a free-throw to place the Lady Chaps with a 64-61 lead with 1:45 remaining. Stokes (eight points in the quarter) struck with a pair of buckets to close the scoring.
 
Foster, who produced the second double-double of her career, had 12 points in the second half and led LCU with 16 points. Her 11 rebounds also led the squad and was one more than Audrey Robertson's career-high effort (10). Foster produced 20 field goal attempts in the game, which was the most since Tess Bruffey had 22on Feb. 23, 2017. LCU also had career-highs from Stovall (14 points) and Schumann (10 points).
 
Freshmen Taylor Thomas (+8 plus/minus), Tia Johnson and Martie McCoy each made their LCU and collegiate debut. LCU was 17-of-23 from the free-throw line (73.9%), with Stovall making nine of her 10 attempts.
 
The Lions had a double-double from Madi Stokes (13 rebounds, 12 points), who alongside Kryslyn Jones (10 points), joined Lacy Stokes in double figures. MSSU won despite being held to a 32.9% (25/76) shooting mark in the game.
 
TURNING POINT
Two turnovers came back to draw ire by LCU in the loss. In the fourth quarter, a pass was broken up and the officials ruled it went off Stovall. With less than 90 seconds remaining and LCU leading 64-61, Audrey Robertson was driving through the right side and Jones swiped the ball free from behind and out of bounds. The officials rewarded the ball to MSSU, as Jones' swipe went unseen. In both cases they were not reviewed, as there is no replay available for challenges at the tournament.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The Lady Chaps are now 29-15 all-time and 13-7 under head coach Steve Gomez in season openers (9-7 in their last 16 openers). The 2017-18 season opener in Commerce, Texas marked LCU's last season opener that was against a national ranked opponent (LCU topped No.5 CSU-Pueblo 57-52).
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU wraps up their opening weekend of play Sunday with a 5:30 p.m. contest against Missouri Western State, which is coached by former Texas Tech head coach Candi Whitaker. The game is scheduled inside Municipal Auditorium and is part of the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic.