HOLIDAY HOOPS CLASSIC
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-3) vs. No.13 GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN STATE (7-1)
December 16, 2022 • 3:15 PM (CT)
Las Vegas, Nev. • South Point Arena (4,600)
 

HOLIDAY HOOPS CLASSIC
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
No.13 Georgia Southwestern	Las Vegas, Nev.	Fri., Dec. 16	3:15 p.m.	Video	Stats
No.15 MSU Billings	Las Vegas, Nev.	Sat. Dec. 17	5:30 p.m.	Video	Stats
GAME NOTES (PDF)

VIVA LAS VEGAS
Lubbock Christian University takes a hiatus from Lone Star Conference play and heads to Las Vegas, Nevada to participate in the 2022 Holiday Hoops Classic inside South Point Arena. LCU plays a pair of non-conference neutral site contests against nationally ranked programs, facing No.15 Georgia Southwestern State Friday (2:15 p.m. CT) and No.15 Montana State Billings (5:30 p.m. CT). LCU has not appeared in Las Vegas since the 2007-08 season, as they defeated No.23 Westminster and Montana Western in the Las Vegas Shoot-Out at Sierra Vista High School. The win over Montana Western featured a game-winning three-pointer by Jordan Hampton with 20 seconds remaining for a 63-60 win.   
 
BOUNCED BACK WITH A WIN
LCU bounced back from a 60-47 loss at Texas A&M International with a 76-61 win Saturday at Texas A&M-Kingsville behind 21 points each from Rachel Haase and Grace Foster. Haase's career-high scoring performance included an incredible 8-of-10 shooting from the floor (4-of-5 from three-point range). LCU shot a season-best 53.6% (30/56) from the field and was 7-of-15 (46.7%) from downtown. They owned a 40-30 advantage in paint scoring. Foster posted her fourth double-double of the season, with 21 points and 14 rebounds. She was 8-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 from long range. Maci Maddox toyed with a triple-double despite not having any double figures in any categories, as she had nine points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The nine assists were the most by a Lady Chap since Caitlyn Cunyus posted nine against Midwestern State on Dec. 21, 2019.
 
WILL AND GRACE
Grace Foster is off to a solid season start for the Lady Chaps. Sprinkled throughout the statistical leaderboard in the LSC, she leads the LSC in double-doubles (with four to tie for 20^th nationally) and leads in rebounds (102, which is 10^th nationally) and rebounds per game (10.2, which is 20^th nationally). On the offensive side, Foster leads the LSC in free-throw percentage (90.5%, 22^nd nationally), second in three-point shooting percentage (50.0%) and is third in the LSC in scoring (17.0 points per game).

SEASON NOTES AND TRENDS
> Grace Foster led LCU in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (11.0) on the week with a pair of double-figure scoring performances on the road. She led LCU with eight rebounds and co-led the team with 11 points at Texas A&M International, and followed with her Lone Star Conference-leading fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Foster was 8-of-13 from the field (3-of-5 from three-point range) at TAMUK. Her average of 11.0 rebounds on the week topped the LSC for the week (of individuals playing at least two games on the week) and she led all players with 9.5 defensive rebounds per game. Foster's 14-rebound performance at TAMUK topped all single-game performances in the conference.
> LCU is among the LSC leaders in three-point shooting with a 34.2% shooting percentage from the perimeter this season, which has them fourth in the LSC. Opposing teams are shooting 27.8% from three-point range, which defensively places LCU fifth in the LSC in perimeter defense. Opponents have launched 194 three-point attempts, compared to 158 by LCU.   
> Maci Maddox has double-figure point production in six of the prior nine games and enters Friday's game averaging 11.3 points per contest. She leads the LSC with 49 assists (14^th nationally) and is second with 4.9 assists per game (26^th nationally). Defensively, Maddox ranks second in the LSC in steals per game (2.7, 50^th nationally) and in steals (27, 20^th nationally).
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 38.2 rebounds per game, posting a high of 46 against Missouri Southern State (Nov. 5). LCU has not averaged over 40 rebounds in a season since averaging 40.3 during the 2015-16 season. Grace Foster (10.2) and Reese Schumann (5.4) are each averaging 5.0-or-more rebounds per game. LCU is fourth in the LSC in defensive rebounds per game (29.3, 32^nd nationally) and ninth in overall rebounds per game (38.2).
> LCU has a 176-118 scoring advantage from the line this season against their opposition. They have at least 20 points scored from the line in five of their nine prior games. On the campaign, LCU is shooting 73.6% (176/239) from the line, which is fourth in the LSC and ranks 70^th nationally. The Lady Chaps rank 10th nationally and third in the LSC in free-throws made per game (17.6). Grace Foster is 38-of-42 (90.5%) from the line this season to lead LCU from the line. Audrey Robertson (39-of-49, 79.6%, 10^th in the LSC) and Shaylee Stovall (30-of-39, 76.9%, 15^th in LSC) are each shooting at least 75.0% from the line (of those reaching minimum requirements).
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 73.2 points per contest (averaged 65.9 per game last season), which leads the LSC (51^st nationally), and they have a trio of players averaging double figures in points. Grace Foster (17.0), Maci Maddox (11.3) and Audrey Robertson (10.2) lead the average scoring pace for the Lady Chaps.
>Defensively, Lubbock Christian is third in the LSC in blocks per game (4.0, 27^th nationally) and is ninth in steals per game (7.5). Reese Schumann leads LCU in blocks (17), ranking third in the LSC (16^th nationally), and Grace Foster ranks seventh in the LSC with 11 blocks. Schumann's average of 1.7 blocks per game ranks fourth in the LSC.

NEUTRAL TALK
LCU is seeking for their first neutral site win of the season (0-2) and each of the prior two neutral site games have come against nationally ranked programs or teams receiving top-25 votes. The Lady Chaps only prior neutral site games were part of the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Kansas City, Mo., where LCU fell No.6 Missouri Southern State (65-64) and Missouri Western State (101-96 in OT). Grace Foster is averaging 26.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game on a neutral floor. Audrey Robertson (11.0), Maci Maddox (10.5) and Shaylee Stovall (10.0) are each joining Foster on the double-figure scoring trend. LCU is shooting 42.2% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range.

RANKING THINGS
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). This week, with LCU facing No.13 (WBCA) Georgia Southwestern and No.15 (D2SIDA) Montana State Billings LCU will have played three nationally ranked programs and five programs either nationally ranked or receiving top-25 votes.

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
LCU, who went 13-0 at home last season, is 5-0 at home this season, which has their active home win streak sitting at 109 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 84 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 31-0 in LSC home games).
 
NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
109 - 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
109 – LCU (Division II)
33 – Christopher Newport (Division III)
33 - DeSales (Division II)
 
NCAA DIVISION LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS BY DIVISION
Division I – 99 – UConn 2006/07 – 2011/12
Division II - 109 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 -->
Division III – 121 – Amherst Jan. 31, 2009-Feb. 6, 2016
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT GSW
1 > The Hurricanes are off to an impressive 7-1 start to the season, which includes a 2-0 start in Peach Belt Conference (PBC) play. They head to Las Vegas on a four-game win streak and their match against LCU will mark their first neutral site game of the season.
2 > GSW went 23-7 last season, opening the season 9-1. They completed PBC play last season with a 14-4 record to finish third in the conference. GSW qualified for the NCAA Southeastern Regional tournament and claimed their first tournament win in program history before falling to Lander. The Hurricanes came into this season carrying the No.1 ranking in the PBC Preseason Coaches Poll.
3 > The Hurricanes lead the nation, holding their opponents to a 30.5 shooting percentage (perimeter defense is second nationally as they hold opponents to 20.0% from outside). They hold opponents to 69.8 points a game, which ranks fourth national, and are averaging 18.9 points in scoring margin (18^th nationally).
4 > Georgia Southwestern forces the opposition into 25.38 turnovers per game (ninth nationally). Jolicia Williams ranks 12^th nationally, with a pace of 3.1 steals per game, and Ava Jones also adds 2.7 steals per contest.
5 > Along with leading the team in steals, Jolicia Williams paces the Hurricanes offense with 12.4 points per game. One of four players averaging double figures, Williams is coming off a season-high 24-point performance over South Carolina (USC) Aiken.

THE SERIES AGAINST GSW
LCU and GSW are meeting for the first time all-time. The Lady Chaps have not played a Georgia-based program since defeating North Georgia 99-54 during the 2019 NCAA Elite Eight Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, which placed LCU with a 2-0 all-time record against Georgia programs (Clayton State, in 2015, was LCU's only other Georgia program LCU has faced).