NO. 1 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (20-1, 8-1)
vs. TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (11-8, 3-5)
Tuesday, Feb. 8 – 6 p.m. CT
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
All-Time Series: LCU leads 10-5
 
NEED TO KNOW

• Both Parker Hicks and Lloyd Daniels have scored at least 20 points in each of Lubbock Christian's last three games
• Tuesday's game is a rescheduled contest that was originally supposed to be played on Jan. 2
• The Chaps rank No. 8 nationally and lead the Lone Star Conference with a 1.60 assist to turnover ratio
• Texas A&M International has lost three straight games, including a 55-48 loss to St. Edward's on Saturday
• Daniels is averaging 36 minutes and 13 seconds of playing time per game, which leads the LSC
• Zach Stepp had a career-high nine rebounds on Saturday

 
BOUNCE BACK
For the first time this season, Lubbock Christian will be trying to recover after a loss. After a program-record 20 straight wins to start the season, the Chaps finally lost on Saturday against a Dallas Baptist team that shot 70 percent from three in the second half and still left LCU with a chance at the buzzer. The Chaps didn't have time to think on the loss for to long though, as the makeup matchup with Texas A&M-International came quickly. Last season, LCU set what was then a program-record with 16 wins to start the season before finally suffering a loss. The bounced back in a big way after the loss, going on the road and beating West Texas A&M 103-85 on 62.5 percent shooting.
 
SHOOTERS SHOOT
Even in the loss on Saturday, the Chaps shot 50 percent from the field, hitting 26 of their 52 attempts. It marked the 14^th time this season LCU has shot 50 percent or better in a game. For the season, they are shooting 51.7 percent, which leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks No. 6 nationally. Daniels (54.0 percent) and Hicks (53.6 percent) rank first and second in the LSC individually, and another six Chaparrals are shooting better than 49 percent. All of the made baskets have also allowed LCU to be one of the bests teams at tallying assists in the league with 16.1 per game.
 
 
BEYOND THE ARC
The Chaps' impressive shooting prowess even extends past the line that is 22 feet, 1 ¾ inches away from the basket. After a 11-26 showing on Thursday night (42.3 percent), LCU now ranks second in the Lone Star Conference in three-point shooting percentage and ranks No. 17 nationally. They are shooting 39.6 percent (186-470) this season. Stepp leads the team at a ridiculous 54.5 percent (24-44). No Chaparral player shoot enough threes to rank on the conference or national leaderboard, but another five players besides Stepp are shooting at least 40 percent from deep.
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
Lubbock Christian also has one of the best defenses in the nation, ranking No. 4 in all of D-II with an opponent field goal percentage of just 38.4. They allow just 61.1 points per game on average, which is the sixth-best mark nationally as well. Dallas Baptist on Saturday was just the second team all season to shoot better than 50 percent from the field against the Chaps. Nine different LCU opponents this season have suffered their lowest scoring output of the season against the Chaps, including Midwestern State last Thursday. The Chaps are tough to score on because of a full team effort, but Hicks has been recognized with five LSC Defensive Player of the Week awards for his role, and in particular, his 7.52 defensive rebounds per game, which rank first in the league and No. 14 nationally.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
The new national rankings will not come out until Tuesday afternoon, but it is safe to assume that the Chaps will drop out of the No. 1 spot after a nine-week run there. Lubbock Christian first claimed the top spot on Nov. 23, and it was their first No. 1 ranking in program history.  Nova Southeastern is still undefeated and should claim the top spot for the first time this season, but LCU will more than likely remain in the top five. The Chaps have beaten three opponents who were ranked at the time of playing this season. They also beat Regis to start the year, and although the Rangers were not ranked at the time, they have since climbed to No. 15 in last week's NABC poll.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Tuesday's game is the 12^th of 14 total home games for Lubbock Christian. The Chaps are 10-1 on their own court so far this season with an average of 79.8 points per game on percent shooting. Opponents entering the Rip have been held to just 60.1 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting. In the 10-plus seasons under head coach Todd Duncan, LCU is 119-28 at home (.809). Officially dedicated on October 9, 2000, the Rip Griffin Center has been the home of the Chaps for more than two decades and can seat 1,950 for sporting events.
 
CREAM OF THE CROP
One week from today, the watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, which is given to the best player in small college basketball (D-II, D-III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA), will be cut from 100 to 50. Both Hicks and Daniels were on the initial list, which was announced on Jan. 15. The award was created in 2015 and is named after Clarence "Bevo" Francis. Francis played two seasons at what is now the University of Rio Grande. In his first season, he led the team to a 39-0 record averaging 50.1 points per game, highlighted by a 116-point performance against Ashland College in Kentucky. The list will shrink more throughout the coming months, with the winner being announced on April 4.
 
SCOUTING THE DUSTDEVILS

• Texas A&M-International has the third-worst offense in the LSC, averaging just 68.0 points per game
• The Dustdevil defense, however, is the third-best in the league, allowing just 64.0 points per game
• Greg Bowie II leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.6 points per game
• The Dustdevils have a tough road trip in front of them, as they will take on UT Permian Basin on Thursday and Angelo State on Saturday after the meeting with the Chaps
• TAMIU's last win came on Jan. 27 at UT Tyler. They won the game 70-66 in overtime

 
THE SERIES WITH THE DUSTDEVILS
Lubbock Christian and Texas A&M-International have been meeting on the hardwood since 2014 with the Chaps leading the all-time series 10-5. LCU has won each of the last four meetings between the teams, including both matchups during the 2020-21 season. The last time TAMIU won was in Laredo on Jan. 10, 2019 by a score of 68-47.