LUBBOCK, Texas (February 24, 2022) – Seven different Lubbock Christian University players finished in double-figures on Thursday night, as the Chaps dominated Western New Mexico 108-54 in the regular season finale at the Rip Griffin Center.
 
The win was the 25^th of the season for the Chaps (25-2, 12-2), setting a new school record for the most wins in a single-season, breaking the previous record of 24 set by the 1982-83 squad.
 
LCU matched another school record in the win, hitting from behind the arc 20 times against the Mustangs. The feat has been accomplished just two other times in the school's history. Once on Jan. 4, 1998, when they did it against Oklahoma Christian, and once against National Christian on December 8, 2000. The Chaps came within striking distance of the Rip Griffin Center record for points (115) and field goals made (45), both of which were set on Nov. 21, 2013 against Southwest (N.M.).
 
Finally, the win was a milestone for Chap coach Todd Duncan, who notched his 200^th career victory at the helm of the program on Thursday night. He is 200-109 in his career.
 
It's odd to say the Chaps started slow in a game where they scored 108 points, but the several minutes of play included three missed three-pointers and the Mustangs stayed close. Back-to-back three-pointers from Rowan Mackenzie and Aamer Muhammad got the Chaps going, but Western New Mexico was still down just three at the 11:24 mark.
 
LCU got the lead out to double-figures with just over nine minutes left in the half on a Lloyd Daniels three-pointer, and the Chaps closed out the period on a 15-5 run to lead 52-33 at the break.
 
Scoring more than 50 points in a half is a solid accomplishment, but Lubbock Christian immediately one-upped their own 52-point first half showing with 56 in the final 20 minutes of play. The Chaps shot a scorching 67.7 percent from the field in the second half, including 66.7 percent on three-pointers. Hicks, Daniels and Muhammad were all in double figures already at halftime, and four more players joined them in the second half.
 
LCU was ahead by 20 with the first made bucket of the second half, and they stretched the lead out to 30 just three and a half minutes in on a Mackenzie three-pointer. The threes just kept coming, with a total of 12 falling for the Chaparrals in the final 20 minutes of play.
 
With 8:01 left in the game, Jalen Brattain hit from behind the arc to stretch the lead out to 40. Not long after, most of the Chap starters were subbed out, but the LCU reserves were just as hot. Ben Janssan and Aaron Gonzales hit two three-pointers each in the final six minutes, with Gonzales drilling the triple that tied the school record with 1:01 left to play.
 
Hicks led all scorers with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his fifth-straight double-double and 13^th of the season. Muhammad was right behind with 19 points, and the guard grabbed eight rebounds, while Brattain scored 14 points off the bench. Daniels had an impressive overall stat line, with 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Mackenzie also had 13 points. Gonzales scored 11, and Stepp finished with 10.
 
TURNING POINT
The Chaps pulled away in the first half with the late 15-5 run, but the game got out of hand early in the second half, when they opened with a 14-2 run.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU reached the triple-digit mark for the first time this season. The last time they scored 100 or more points in a game was last year's regular season finale, when they hung 103 on West Texas A&M.
 
NEXT UP
Lubbock Christian will begin postseason play at 6 p.m. next Thursday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, for the Lone Star Conference Championship. The opponent will be the winner of the game between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds, which will be determined on Tuesday.