LUBBOCK, Texas (January 14, 2023) – Grace Foster produced a second straight double-double performance (14 points, 13 rebounds) and Reese Schumann (6 blocks) and Audrey Spurgin (9 points) each had career-high performances, which helped Lubbock Christian University get a second half surge to top Western New Mexico 67-50. The Lone Star Conference West Division victory for LCU marked their 112^th consecutive home win inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
LCU overcame a sluggish first half in which there were three lead changes and the score tied on seven occasions. The Mustangs led for 8:25 of the 12:32 in which the game was not tied in the first half. WNMU ended the first half scoreless over the final 6:57, but they opened the second half scoring with a three-pointer from Susi Namao to cut LCU's lead to 24-22. WNMU's first two buckets of the second half were three-pointers, but the following three pointer (from Sydney Wright) was the only Mustangs points mixed into an 11-3 LCU run. Audrey Robertson had a pair of field goals and Stovall capped the run with a three-pointer with 6:26 left in the quarter for a 35-25 LCU lead. Mix in an 8-0 LCU run, which included a three-point play from Foster, and LCU would go on a 19-5 scoring surge for a 43-27 advantage with 3:15 left in the third quarter (LCU had a sequence in which they were 8-of-10 from the field in the third quarter). Foster closed the quarter with a three-pointer and LCU led 48-31 at the close of the quarter.
 
Spargin came alive in the fourth quarter for LCU, scoring their first six points of the quarter. The Lady Chaps never let their lead slip under 17 points and led as much as 23 (67-44 with 1:41 remaining) after Rachel Haase opened a 7-2 run with a three-pointer.
 
Foster and Spargin co-led LCU in second half scoring with eight points apiece. Ten (10) different Lady Chaps figured into the scoring in the second half and LCU shot 58.6% (17/29) from the field.
 
The numbers were huge improvement over the first half. LCU opened the game shooting 26.7% from the field in the first quarter and shot 25.8% (8/31) in the first half. The two teams combined to make one three-pointer on 14 attempts. The one trey was by LCU's Shaylee Stovall and it was connected on LCU's ninth attempt, as they ended the half 1-of-11 (9.1%) from long distance in the half. WNMU led as much as four points and LCU's largest lead of the first half came off a 9-0 run to end the half with a 24-19 lead.
 
Foster's double-double was her conference-leading seventh of the season. Schumann, whose career-high six blocks is the most by a Lady Chaps member this season, finished with 10 points and eight rebounds (was also a +24 in plus/minus), and joined Foster as the only other Lady Chaps member to finish with at least 10 points. The Audreys (Robertson and Spurgin) each finished with nine points. LCU finished the game shooting 41.7% from the field (25/60) and they were 50% (21/42) inside the arc (63.6% in the second half). Defensively, LCU held WNMU to 30.9% (21/68) shooting and they posted a season-high eight blocks.
 
WNMU received a double-double from Diamond Moore, who posted 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Mustangs in each category.  Namao finished with 12 points to join Moore in double figures.
 
The win placed LCU (9-0 at home) with a 13-5 season record and an 8-2 mark in LSC play (5-1 in West Division), while WNMU fell to 4-11 overall and 2-8 in conference (2-4 in West). The win was LCU's 11^th consecutive win in the all-time series against WNMU and they lead the all-time series 15-10 (9-2 in Lubbock).
 
TURNING POINT
WNMU had a 19-15 lead after a 9-2 run, but then went the remaining 6:57 of the first half without a point. LCU did not fully take advantage of the Mustangs dry spell, as they were 3-of-12 (25%) from the field over the 6:57 span while WNMU was scoreless behind a sequence of 10 consecutive missed field goal attempts. LCU did however outscore WNMU 9-0 for a 24-19 halftime lead. Mix the 9-0 run into the third quarter scoring and LCU outscored WNMU 33-12 over a span of 16:57.
   
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
In the opening quarter, Reese Schumann had more blocks (5) than WNMU had made field goals (4). Schumann had three blocks in a span of 55 seconds and four blocks in a span of 1:34, which is a sequence that began with 2:36 remaining in the quarter. Toss in her four-block performance Thursday against Eastern New Mexico and Schumann completed the week with 10 blocks in two games.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
LCU hits the road for a very important week ahead, as they face UT Tyler Thursday in Tyler, Texas and Texas Woman's in Denton, Texas on Saturday. The two teams lead the LSC's East Division.