TYLER, Texas - The Chaparrals kick off their longest road trip of the season with four straight road conference contests, opening with a test against UT Tyler on Thursday, Jan. 19.

Lubbock Christian (10-6, 6-4) at UT Tyler (8-6, 4-6)
Thursday, Jan. 19 - 7:30 PM
Tyler, Texas - Louise Herrington Patriot Center

NEED TO KNOW
- LCU is coming off a 76-67 loss to Western New Mexico on Jan. 14. The Mustangs held LCU to just 2-for-11 from the field in the final 7:03 of the game.
- Despite holding the 10th best free throw percentage in D-II at 79.0 percent, LCU missed all three front ends of one-and-ones, and shot just 64.3 percent from the line against WNMU
- Rowan Mackenzie flirted with a double-double vs WNMU, scoring 20 points and pulling down nine rebounds. 
- Russell Harrison is 53 points away from 1000 total at NCAA schools. Harrison scored 704 points in two seasons at UL Monroe. For his overall career, Harrison has scored 1,892 points, with 395 points in a season at NAIA Wayland Baptist, and 550 points in one season at JUCO Clarendon

BACK TO SCHOOL
LCU has won two-straight Lone Star Conference regular season championships, and have compiled a 48-14 record in the LSC since joining the conference in 2019. The Chaps are 25-7 in Lone Star Conference road games, including a 10-0 road mark during the 2020-21 season. At the Rip Griffin Center, the Chaps are 23-7 in conference matchups. LCU is also 2-2 in overtime conference games since joining the LSC in 2019 after knocking off Oklahoma Christian 70-68 in OT earlier this season.

ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT
This season, Rowan Mackenzie is leading the Chaps in scoring, averaging 19.8 points per game, second in the LSC. If the season were to end today, that mark would be the third best points per game average in a season in program history. Mackenzie is second in the LSC in field goal percentage, shooting 57.8 percent from the field so far this season.
Mackenzie scored 22 points against UTPB, including going 10-for-12 from the free throw line while hauling down nine rebounds in the win over the Falcons. Despite the loss to Angelo State, Mackenzie scored 30 points for the third time this season, shooting 9-for-14 from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. 
The junior scored a career-high 35 points against Colorado School of Mines on Nov. 12, draining seven three-pointers, just three shy of tying the school record of most threes made in a single game. For his impressive play against the Orediggers, Mackenzie earned his first career LSC Offensive Player of the Week Honors on Nov. 14, 2022. 
He earned his second LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 20, 2022, after scoring 20 points, hauling in seven rebounds and dishing out five assists against Le Moyne. Mackenzie also had 16 points and four rebounds against no. 4/5 West Liberty.
Mackenzie has gotten it done on the defensive end as well, earning LSC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Jan. 3. Against Cameron, Mackenzie had four steals and had a career-high two blocks against the Aggies, holding CU to just 26.7 percent from three as the Chaps scored 22 points off turnovers. His 1.8 steals per game are tied for fourth in the LSC.

GOTTA MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS
Lubbock Christian has been automatic from the free throw line this season, shooting 79.0 percent from the charity stripe. That mark is the third-best in the Lone Star Conference, and the 10th best in Division-II. If the Chaps were playing Division-I basketball, that mark would also rank 10th in D-I, above schools such as Clemson, Miami, Duke, Purdue and Texas Tech.
Najeeb Muhammad is shooting 90.9 percent from the free throw line, the third best mark in the conference and 14th best in Division-II for eligible players.
In their most recent game against Western New Mexico, LCU missed all three front ends of one-and-ones, and shot just 64.3 percent from the line against the Mustangs, their worst performance from the charity stripe when attempting at least 10 free throws in a game this season.

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE
Najeeb Muhammad has been dishing out assists like hot cakes all season long. Muhammad finished with a career-high eight assists on Dec. 10 against Texas A&M International, just two days after handing out six assists against Texas A&M-Kingsville.  He then tied his season-high with eight assists against Le Moyne. Muhammad set a new season-best in assists with nine against Cameron.
Muhammad has also ound his stroke of late, scoring a season- high 21 points in LCU's 91-83 win over no. 4/5 West Liberty, going 10-for-10 from the free throw line. That mark ties Kenny Hewitt for the single-game free throw percentage record. Hewitt went 14-for-14 against Mid-America Nazarene on Feb. 7, 2009. Muhammad also dished out six assists and had three steals against the Hilltoppers.
This season, the Arizona Western College transfer is averaging 10.7 points per game, while his 74 total assists are the third-most in the Lone Star Conference. His 2.74 assist-to-turnover ratio is the best in the LSC, and 24th in the country.

WOKE UP FEELING DANGER RUSS
Russell Harrison tied his career-high in points from his lone season at Claredon College (2019-2020) with 33 points on Dec. 3 against Arkansas Fort Smith. Harrison was automatic from beyond the mark, making six three-pointers in the game, including four in a row in the second half. The grad transfer finished the night shooting 52.1 percent from the field. Harrison stuffed the stat sheet in that game, pulling in eight rebounds, had two assists, and blocked one shot while coming away with one steal. 
Harrison is averaging 15.2 points per game, and 4.9 rebounds per game. He is just 53 points away from 1000 total at NCAA schools. Harrison scored 704 points in two seasons at UL Monroe. For his overall career, Harrison has scored 1,892 points, with 395 points in a season at NAIA Wayland Baptist, and 550 points in one season at JUCO Clarendon. Harrison has scored 243 points this season for the Chaps.

MAKE THEM EARN IT
Opponents have struggled to score against the Chaps this season, averaging 67.1 points per game against Lubbock Christian. So far this season, five opponents that LCU has faced have scored their lowest point total in a game this season. 
Oklahoma Christian entered the game against Lubbock Christian with the best scoring offense in the LSC at 81.8 points per game, but the Chap defense held the Eagles to a season-low 68 points. Against Arkansas Fort Smith, the Chaps held the conference's leading scorer Payton Brown (22.1 PPG) to 14 points and just 2-for-9 from three. Against West Liberty, the Hilltoppers scored just 83 points, the first time they have been held to under 90 points all season
As of late however, teams have found their stroke from deep against the Chaps, with UTPB shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, while Angelo State shot 47.1 percent from deep and 54.9 percent from the field. Western New Mexico shot 50 percent from three in their win over the Chaps last weekend. LCU is 0-4 when opponents shoot at least 45 percent from beyond the arc this season.

SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS
 - UT Tyler started the season 6-0, but have gone 2-6 in their last eight games, entering the contest 8-6 overall and 4-6 in the LSC. Two of those losses have come in overtime, dropping an 87-76 double-OT game to Oklahoma Christian on Dec. 30, before falling to UAFS 83-75 in overtime on Jan. 1.
-  The Patriot defense has been phenomenal this season, allowing just 63.7 points per game, the third best in the LSC and 21st best scoring defense in Division-II. Opponents are shooting just 29.4 percent from three against the Patriots, the best mark in the Lone Star Conference and 14th best in Division-II.
- UT Tyler has crashed the offensive glass at will, averaging 12.9 offensive rebounds per game, second in the LSC and 29th in Division-II. The rebounds have turned into points, with the Pats averaging 11.1 second-chance points per game. Milan Sazabo has been a big part of the rebounding for UT Tyler, as his 6.8 rebounds per game ranks seventh in the conference.
- Rashun Williams leads the Patriots and is fourth in the conference in points per game with 17.5. He is also shooting an impressive 80.0 percent from the free throw line.
- Head coach Louis Wilson will begin his fourth season at the helm of the UT Tyler men's basketball program in 2022-23. He spent five years as head coach at Division II foe Adams State of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 2010-15, totaling a 95-46 record as head coach of the Grizzlies

THE SERIES WITH THE PATRIOTS
LCU leads the overall series with UT Tyler 4-0, with all four meetings coming in Tyler, Texas. Last year was a 74-69 win for the Chaps after LCU scored 42 points in the second half, opening the second stanza on a 15-5 run to take the lead for good in the road win.

LAST TIME OUT
Jan. 14, 2023 - vs Western New Mexico - Western New Mexico ended the game on an 18-7 run and held Lubbock Christian to 2-for-11 from the floor in the final 7:03 of game action, as the Mustangs picked up their first win over the Chaps since 1977, knocking off LCU 76-67 inside the Rip Griffin Center on Saturday, Jan. 14.
The Chaps went just 9-for-14 from the free throw line (64.3 percent), their second worst mark in a game where LCU attempted at least ten free throws this season. Lubbock Christian went just 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from the stripe against Regis on Nov. 11. LCU missed all three of the front end shots on their one-and-one chances in the second half.
Despite the loss, Mackenzie and Harrison flirted with double-doubles. Mackenzie scored 20 points and hauled in nine rebounds, going 3-for-4 from deep and shot 7-for-10 from the field. Harrison scored 16 points and picked up seven rebounds. 
Western New Mexico scored 36 points off the bench and out rebounded the Chaps 41-28, the most rebounds for an LCU opponent this season.

A WIN WOULD
- Be LCU's fifth straight win over UT Tyler and fifth straight in Tyler, Texas
- Be LCU's third straight win on a Thursday

UP NEXT
Lubbock Christian remains on the road, heading to Dallas to face DBU on Saturday, Jan. 21. Tip-off from the Burg Center is set for 2 PM.