LUBBOCK, Texas (February 25, 2023) – There were 27 lead changes and offense was on display in the regular season finale inside Rip Griffin Center Saturday, and West Texas A&M was able to do something they had never done in program history… post a win inside Lubbock Christian University's home venue. Behind 55.4% shooting from the field, the Lady Buffs defeated the Lady Chaparrals 88-79, in overtime, in a Lone Star Conference West Division meeting despite a double-double of 29 points and 11 rebounds from LCU's Grace Foster. The loss places the West Division Co-Champion Lady Chaps into the LSC Championships in Frisco, Texas as the No.4-seed and they will open play inside Comerica Center Thursday at 8:30 p.m. facing No.5-seed Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
West Texas A&M's offense shot 55.4% from the field, which was the best shooting mark by an LCU opponent since Tarleton State shot 58.9% against the Lady Chaps on Nov. 16, 2013. That meeting against the TexAnns was in Stephenville, Texas. Saturday's performance in Rip Griffin Center was the best by an opposition since Oklahoma City shot the same 55.4% on the same hardwood floor Feb. 27, 2010.
 
Lubbock Christian was not having a bad shooting afternoon either… at least until late in the game. LCU was 10-of-16 from three-point range, which is tied for their third-best three-point shooting mark (62.5%) since the 2009-2010 season. Lubbock Christian hasn't shot better since shooting 66.7% (12/18) on Nov. 17, 2017 against Western New Mexico.
 
The game also features two inside players having a duel in the paint. WTAMU's Nyalam Thabach was 12-of-18 from the field and hit all six free-throws she had to finish with a game-high 30 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double. Pacing with her was Foster, who posted 29 points and 11 rebounds for her second-highest point total of her LCU career and conference-leading 13^th double-double of the season.
 
Foster's 11 rebounds placed her with 279 on the season, which moved her past Darla Lynch's 1981-82 season total of 278 rebounds as the fifth-best single season mark in program history. The sophomore is three boards away from moving past Tess Bruffey's 2017-18 season total of 281 rebounds.
 
Saturday, WTAMU hit their shooting stride late in the third quarter, bleeding into the fourth quarter, as they made nine of 10 shot attempts from the field to take a 68-64 lead with 6:33 remaining. The Lady Chaps responded with an 8-0 run and a jumper by Shaylee Stovall put LCU up 72-68 with 4:12 remaining (Stovall had five of the points of the 8-0 run). LCU would go on to miss 11 of their next and final 12 field goal attempts from that moment on. The Lady Chaps were shooting 53.1% (26/49) at the time of Stovall's bucket and finished the game 44.3% (27/61) from the floor.
 
Five of the final seven points LCU scored were from the free-throw line, including a pair by Audrey Robertson with 10 seconds left in regulation to force the overtime frame. LCU would end up with one field goal (from Maci Maddox) in the overtime frame.
 
Karley Motschenbacher led WTAMU in the extra session with six points and finished with 16 points. Joining Motschenbacher and Thabach in double figures was Lauren Taylor (13 points) and Kyla Kane (10 points). The Lady Buffs will head to the LSC Championships as the No.6-seed with a 14-8 LSC mark on the 2022-23 campaign (21-9 overall).
 
Along with Foster's 29 points, LCU received 16 points from Maddox, and 14 points each from Robertson and Stovall. LCU was outscored 10-3 in second-chance scoring, as they were out-rebounded 40-24 in the contest. The points-off-turnovers was even at 15-15 despite LCU having a 16-11 advantage in forced turnovers. LCU closes the regular season 21-9 and with a 15-6 LSC mark.
 
LCU continues to lead the all-time series against WTAMU, but their all-time record falls to 8-6 in the head-to-head meetings. The Lady Chaps are now 5-1 against WTAMU in Lubbock.
 
TURNING POINT
LCU closed the game 1-of-12 to close out the contest and they were 1-of-9 from the field in overtime. The Lady Chaps missed their final seven shot attempts to end the game.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
The overtime result was LCU's second overtime of the season, with a 101-96 overtime loss to Missouri Western on the opening weekend of the regular season (Nov. 7, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo.) marking LCU's last overtime contest. LCU has dropped their last three overtime decisions. Their last overtime win was Nov. 30, 2019 against Central Oklahoma (in San Antonio, Texas).
 
WHAT'S NEXT
It's tournament time… March Madness, Lone Star Conference style, gets underway Thursday in Frisco with the eight-team single-elimination tournament. LCU plays the final game of the opening day (Thursday) facing No.5-seed Texas A&M-Kingsville, who LCU defeated in the regular season (76-61 in Kingsville, Texas on Dec. 10, 2022). The Javelinas are coached by former LCU assistant coach Michael Madrid.