FORT SMITH, Ark. (December 2, 2023) – Audrey Robertson, Maci Maddox and Grace Foster combined to score 44 of Lubbock Christian University's 58 total points, as the Lady Chaparrals knocked off the Arkansas Fort Smith Lions 58-49 in Saturday's Lone Star Conference meeting inside Stubblefield Center.
The Lady Chaps (7-2, 2-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Robertson, who had 18 points. Maddox tacked on 14 points and five steals and Foster helped out with 12 points and four assists.
Lubbock Christian grabbed 28 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Arkansas-Fort Smith's 24, led by seven boards from Reese Schumann. Lubbock Christian's defense held Arkansas-Fort Smith to only 38.6 percent shooting from the field, including 23.5 percent from beyond the arc.
How It Happened
After falling behind 2-0, Lubbock Christian went on a 6-0 run with 8:57 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Maci Maddox, to take a 6-2 lead. The Lady Chaps had only two field goal attempts in the final 4:20 of the first quarter, but still entered the quarter break with a 12-11 advantage. Lubbock Christian did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 10 of its 12 points close to the basket. Maci Maddox led LCU in the quarter with half (six points) of their points.
Lubbock Christian built that first quarter lead to 15-13 before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 8:16 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 20-13 on an Audrey Robertson three-point play. The Lions then came roaring back to take a 24-22 lead heading into halftime, as LCU went 0-for-11 from the field over the final 7:25 of the half. Robertson (6) and Maddox (4) combined for all 10 LCU points in the quarter and Robertson led LCU with eight points in the half.
Lubbock Christian came out of halftime on fire, going on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Foster, to grab a 30-24 lead with 7:54 to go in the third. LCU opened the half making their first five field goal attempts. Before the third period was over, the Lady Chaps (made one field goal over the final 7:26 of the quarter) added four points to that lead and entered the fourth quarter with a 40-30 edge. Lubbock Christian played well near the basket, scoring 12 of its 18 points in the paint. Maddox led LCU in the quarter with six points.
Lubbock Christian kept its lead intact before going on a 5-0 run, finished off by Robertson's three, to grow the lead to 52-37 with 3:24 to go in the contest. The Lions narrowed the margin on a 7-0 run inside the final minute, but the Lady Chaps still cruised the rest of the way for the 58-49 win. Lubbock Christian received eight points from Robertson in the quarter, as she led LCU with 10 points in the half. LCU shot 57.9% (11/19) from the field in the second half.
Game Notes
» The Lady Chaps held the Lions to only 38.6% (17-of-44) shooting from the field.
» Audrey Robertson, Maci Maddox, and Grace Foster combined to account for 76% of the Lady Chaps points. Robertson's 18-point performance marked a second consecutive game she led LCU in scoring (scored a career-high 20 points Thursday at Oklahoma Christian) for the first time in her career.
» Lubbock Christian had a 28-24 edge on the boards in the win. It is the first time this season LCU has won the rebounding battle in consecutive games. No Lions player had more than four rebounds. Reese Schumann led LCU with seven rebounds and it marked the first time this season she has led LCU in boards and the third time in her career.
» The Lubbock Christian defense forced 20 turnovers, matching a season high. Despite forcing 20, LCU was outscored 17-16 in points-off-turnovers.
» UAFS entered the game second in perimeter defense and LCU entered leading the conference in three-point shooting. The Lions won the battle Saturday, as LCU was 2-of-12 from long-range for a season-low 16.7% shooting percentage from outside.
» Maddox matched a career high in steals with five. It is the second time this season she has produced five steals. Maddox, who has steals in eight of LCU's nine games this season, is second in the LSC with 23 steals.
» LCU trailed 24-22 at the half, placing LCU 2-2 this season when trailing at the half.
» The home team in LCU's road games have struggled from the line (home teams were a combined 53.1% from the line entering the game) and Saturday was no different, as UAFS was 11-of-17 (64.7%) from the free-throw line. LCU was 20-of-24 from the free-throw line (83.3%), with Grace Foster 4-of-4 and Robertson 6-of-8. Foster is now 23-of-25 from the line on the road (92%) and her 23 points from the line on the road is five points shy of the home team's season total of 28 against LCU. Shaylee Stovall converted both of her attempts of the game and has made 19 consecutive free-throws.
» LCU struggled in the second half of each quarter, scoring a total of 23 points in the combined final five minutes of each quarter. The Lady Chaps had two field goals over the final 5:34 of the first quarter, no field goals over the final 7:25 of the second quarter, one field goal over the final 7:26 of the third quarter and two field goals over the final 6:26 of the fourth quarter.
» This season marks LCU's fifth season in the Lone Star Conference. LCU has opened conference play 2-0 for a fourth season.
» LCU improved to 3-1 on the road this season.
» The win was the 10th consecutive win by LCU over UAFS in the all-time series. LCU, winners of all seven all-time meetings in Fort Smith (7-0), improved to 17-1 all-time against UAFS. The two programs, who migrated from the Heartland Conference to the LSC, were meeting for the final time as LSC foes, as UAFS is heading to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA).
» UAFS fell to 2-6 overall and 0-2 in the LSC. They dropped their sixth consecutive game despite 15 points from Baylee Fincher, 14 points from Hannah Boyett and 11 points from Sinetra Jones.
What's Next
LCU returns home and will a week off before hosting Texas A&M International Sunday, December 10 in a Lone Star Conference contest.
Portions of this article was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
