D2CCA TIPOFF CLASSIC
ADAMS STATE (1-0) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (0-1)
Nov. 5, 2023 • 5:00 PM
Lubbock, Texas • Rip Griffin Center (1,950)
 

D2CCA TIPOFF CLASSIC
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Adams St.	Lubbock, Texas	Sun. Nov. 5	5 p.m.	Video	Stats

UNDERWAY
Lubbock Christian University completes their opening weekend of the regular season Sunday evening (5 p.m.) facing Adams State in their final contest of the D2CCA TipOff Classic inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU looks to rebound after a tough 87-78 loss to No.17 Union Friday in "The Rip."

TOURNAMENT TRENDING
> Friday, LCU was led in scoring by a pair of Lady Chaps, as Grace Foster and Maci Maddox each had 16 points.
 
> Taylor Thomas had her first start of the season Friday and led the squad with a +8 plus/minus.
 
> Kennedy Chappell was the only newcomer to make her LCU debut Friday and she finished with eight points and a +2 plus minus rating.
 
> LCU tallied 26 bench points Friday, with 12 produced by Audrey Robertson.
 
> LCU was 28/54 from the field (51.9%) and had a better shooting mark from the field produced by Union (49.1%). LCU was 23-3 last season in contests in which LCU had a better shooting percentage from the field. The last time LCU shot at least 50% and lost was Feb. 21, 2019 against Newman (60%).
 
> Union went 12-of-25 (48%) from the field, which was the highest amount of three-pointers by an opposing team at Rip Griffin Center since Cameron had 13 on Mar. 5, 2021.
 
> LCU allowed 32 points in the opening quarter Friday, which was the highest tally by an LCU opponent in a single quarter since Newman posted 32 points in the fourth quarter of a meeting on Mar. 3, 2017.
 
> Friday's loss at home was their first non-conference home loss since a January 1, 2015 loss to Oklahoma City (85-81). It ended a streak of 33 non-conference regular season wins inside Rip Griffin Center.

NATIONALLY KNOWN (OR UNKNOWN)
Despite returning five starters from a regional-finalist squad, which also shared a divisional title, LCU has not garnered the attention of voters. This season, LCU is receiving Top-25 votes in the WBCA Preseason Poll, but it is their first time they are not in the Top-25 for a WBCA preseason poll since the start of the 2017-18 season (second time not in a WBCA Preseason Poll since becoming eligible for the poll in 2015-16… WBCA did not conduct a preseason poll in 2020-21 due to COVID). Also, since joining NCAA Division II (2015-16 was their first postseason eligible season), the Lady Chaps have appeared in every D2SIDA Preseason Poll until this season, as they are also receiving votes in the D2SIDA Top-25 Preseason Poll.

SO ARE SOME OTHERS
LCU fell to No.17 Union (Tenn.) Friday, placing them with a 0-1 record this season against nationally ranked programs. LCU went 6-0 against nationally ranked programs in 2020-21, 3-2 in 2021-22 (opened 3-0) and 2-5 last season against Top-25 competition.

SEASON OPENERS
LCU is probably more known for how they finish the season, than how they begin the season. With Friday's loss, the Lady Chaps are 9-8 over their last 17 season openers. Lubbock Christian is 29-16 all-time and 13-8 under head coach Steve Gomez in openers. For a second consecutive season, LCU opened the campaign falling to a nationally ranked foe to open the season. Prior to last season (against Missouri Southern), the 2017-18 season opener in Commerce, Texas marked LCU's last season opener that was against a national ranked opponent (LCU topped No.5 CSU-Pueblo 57-52). Friday's loss also ended a streak of 11 consecutive wins in home openers. LCU is now 19-2 all-time in home openers under Gomez.

EYE-OPENING
The 2023-24 season marks LCU's 11th since leaving the NAIA and LCU is 266-48 record (84.7%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%).

FIVE THINGS ABOUT ASU
1 > The Grizzlies are coming off 21-9 season in 2022-23, as they finished third in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 16-6 conference record and just missed a regional berth. They closed the season winning eight of their last 10 games.
2 > Playing a pair of classics/tournaments before heading home, ASU opened the season with a huge 77-64 win over West Texas A&M Saturday. It marked ASU's first-ever win over WT and it was endorsed by a 21-point performance from RiRi Davis. Davis was 5-of-7 from three-point range.
3 > ASU was preseason ranked fourth in the RMAC Preseason Top-25 Poll. They were the top team not receiving a first-place vote and it was their highest preseason ranking since 2010-11.
4 > Adams State averaged 73.3 points per game and 22.9 turnovers forced last season. They were first in both statistical categories in the region, while sitting sixth in the NCAA in the defensive category. The credits led to head coach Mario Caetano claiming RMAC Coach of the Year accolades.
5 > Like LCU, ASU has four newcomers on their roster (three are transfers). Christabel Longe (Mesa Community College transfer) was the only newcomer to crack the starting lineup Saturday.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST ASU
The last time LCU and Adams State met was in Alamosa, Colo, as the two teams competed at the Adams State Bankers Classic on November 21, 2008 (ASU was known as Adams State College in that meeting). LCU carried a No.15 NAIA national ranking into the contest and won 60-57 to remain perfect all-time (5-0) against the Grizzlies. The 2008 meeting was the last of three consecutive trips (over three seasons) to the Bankers Classic. The first all-time meeting resulted in a 74-46 LCU win on Dec. 6, 1999 in Silver City, N.M., and Sunday's meeting marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs in Lubbock.