LUBBOCK, Texas (March 1, 2022) – No.5-Seed Lubbock Christian University shot 67% from the field in the second half and received double-figure production from five different players, as the No.10 Lady Chaparrals advanced to the Quarterfinals of the Lone Star Conference Championship (in Frisco, Texas) after an 84-67 First Round victory over Arkansas Fort Smith inside Rip Griffin Center Tuesday evening. LCU advances to face No.4-seed Angelo State Friday at 8:30 p.m. inside Comerica Center in Frisco.
 
LCU shot 55.1% from the field in the contest, but the start of the game did not show any signs of what would turn out to be one of the Lady Chaps best shooting performances of the season. Allie Schulte opened the game's scoring with a three-pointer, but the Lady Chaps followed by missing their next five shot attempts. The Lady Chaps trailed 5-3 before erupting with a 10-0 run for a 13-5 lead. UAFS had six points from the free-throw line in the opening quarter, and their production at the line helped chip away at the LCU lead. An 11-4 run helped the Lady Lions cut LCU's lead to 17-16 inside the final minute of the quarter. Schulte book-ended the quarter with her only field goals of the quarter and led LCU with five points in the quarter to provide LCU a 19-16 lead.
 
Kalina Foster hit a three-pointer 1:06 into the second quarter for UAFS to tie the game at 21-21. The Lions were unable to take the lead, as Laynee Burr hit a jumper and ignited a 9-0 run, which was part of a 16-1 scoring surge to give LCU a 37-22 lead with 3:43 left in the half. UAFS went a span of 5:37 without a field goal during the LCU run, as Grace Foster had the last seven points of the run for LCU. The Lions responded by holding LCU off the scoreboard the final 3:43 of the half and went on a 7-0 run to cut LCU's lead to 37-29 heading into the break.
 
Mar'Shalia Lollie led the Lions and all scorers in the first half with 12 points. Foster led LCU with nine points in the first half (seven scored in the second quarter).
 
The big runs continued in the game in the second half. Schulte continued her trend of scoring the opening bucket of the quarter, scoring the first five points of the half. Ashton Duncan followed with a three-pointer, and the 8-0 run put LCU up 45-29 two minutes into the third quarter. The 8-0 run was part of a 12-2 run, but the 18-point lead (49-31) was short-lived. Riley Hayes dialed up a three-pointer for UAFS and it sparked a 15-2 Lions run to cut LCU's lead to 51-46 with 2:52 remaining. Channing Cunyus halted the Lions run with the next four points for LCU and the Lady Chaps would lead 58-50 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Burr has vital for the Lady Chaps in the fourth quarter, as she had eight of her 10 points in the game tallied in the frame. She opened the fourth quarter with the first six points of the quarter, which put LCU up 64-50 with 8:21 remaining. Schulte connected on a three-pointer to start an 11-3 run, as the Lions went a span of 4:34 without a field goal during the run.
 
Duncan connected on her fifth three-pointer of the game with 3:10 remaining and LCU would go without a field goal for the remainder of the game. They were not done scoring though, scoring their final six points from the free-throw line. They led as much as 22 points on two occasions before the Lions closed the game on a 5-0 run.
 
LCU was 7-of-9 (77.8%) from three-point range in the second half and finished the game 52.4% (11/21) from long range. The season-high mark from in their best outside shooting mark since shooting 52.9% on Mar. 13, 2021 against Cameron. Duncan finished the game 5-of-6 from three-point range, and her five three-pointers matched tied for the most by an LCU player in a LSC Championship game (matched her own mark of five on Mar. 5, 2021 against Cameron).
 
Schulte led LCU with 17 points, going 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range. Duncan finished with 15 points and matched a career high with four steals. She was also +30 in plus/minus. Foster (15 points), Burr (10 points) and Audrey Robertson (10 points) joined Schulte and Duncan in double figures in points. Robertson was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line and the eight free-throws made is the most by an LCU member in a LSC Championship game.
 
UAFS (7-18) had 18 points from Paige Elston, who led all scorers. They also received 13 points from Foster, 12 points from Lollie and 11points from Dachelle Terry. The Lions had a 10-3 scoring advantage in second-chance scoring, as they benefitted off 11 offensive rebounds.
 
The Lady Chaps (25-5) won their eighth consecutive game against UAFS all-time, improving to 15-1 all-time. The two teams were meeting for the second time in postseason play and the first since LCU defeated UAFS 69-61 in the Heartland Conference Championship Game (tournament) in Tulsa, Okla. on Mar. 4, 2018.  
 
TURNING POINT
With 1:17 remaining in the third quarter, LCU led 55-48 until Duncan connected on a three-pointer to manufacture a 9-2 run, which carried over to Burr's 6-0 scoring spark to start the fourth quarter (helped LCU move from a seven-point advantage to a 64-50 lead). Duncan's three-pointer was part of sequence in which LCU made six consecutive field goal attempts.   
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
LCU's home win put them at 13-0 at home this season and extended their record home win streak to 104 games. LCU hosted the LSC Championship last season, and Tuesday's game marked four consecutive LSC Championship games at home for LCU. The Lady Chaps sequence of 104 consecutive wins includes a 4-0 mark in LSC Championship games (played at home).
 
WHAT'S NEXT
It is off to Frisco, Texas for LCU and a Friday night meeting against Angelo State, who defeated LCU in the regular season. LCU is 1-0 all-time against ASU in the LSC Championship.