SAN ANGELO, Texas (March 11, 2023) – History was once again in favor of No.7-seed Lubbock Christian University in their semifinals meeting with No.6-seed Black Hills State at the 2023 NCAA Division II South Central Regional at Junell Center. The Lady Chaparrals have played in six NCAA postseasons, and with a 66-50 victory over the Yellow Jackets, they have clinched their sixth Sweet Sixteen berth. If that isn't sweet enough, LCU head coach claimed his 500
th career coaching victory with the win. The Sweet Sixteen contest doubles as the South Central Region championship game and LCU will face No.5-seed UT Tyler, who upset host and top-seed Angelo State.
Gomez's 500
th victory coming against Black Hills State is unique in itself, as the two teams were meeting for the first time ever. All 500 career wins have been while at LCU, as Gomez is in his 20
th season as head coach and is at a pace of 25 wins per season. His overall coaching record is 500-142.
His 500
th win (his 24
th in a NCAA postseason) was one which the Lady Chaps never trailed. It marked the sixth time in program history LCU never trailed (in a NCAA postseason game) and the first since playing Daemen College in Columbus, Ohio on Mar. 23, 2021.
Shaylee Stovall connected on a pair of three-pointers out of the gate and it set the theme of the opening half. LCU made four field goals in the opening quarter and a trio of the four were from long range. Stovall's second three-pointer ignited a 7-0 LCU run for a 10-2 advantage. She had eight points in the opening stanza to help LCU take a 16-11 lead into the second quarter.
Three-pointers were contagious in the second quarter as well for LCU.
Audrey Robertson and Stovall hit back-to-back treys, forcing the Yellow Jackets into an early timeout trailing 22-13 2:06 into the quarter.
Grace Foster made her presence known 30 seconds after the timeout by scoring five straight points, which was part of a 9-1 run.
Rachel Haase had the last four points of the run, which gave LCU their largest first half lead at 31-15 (4:52 left in the half). BHSU closed the half on a 6-2 run to place LCU's halftime lead at 33-21.
Grace Foster led LCU with seven points in the second quarter (off 3-of-3 shooting).
LCU was leading 35-25 in the third quarter when Maddox produced a three-pointer and had the opening five points of a 10-3 scoring outburst to provide the Lady Chaps a 45-28 lead. The Yellow Jackets, entering the game as the top perimeter shooting team from the RMAC, opened the game 1-of-10 from long range. Megan Engesser ended a sequence of seven consecutive BHSU misses from outside by draining a three-pointer with 2:09 left in the third quarter. It started a 6-0 run and moved the 'Jackets to within 11 (45-34) of LCU in the final moments of the third quarter.
The Lady Chaps opened the fourth quarter with a 47-34 lead. They produced a 7-2 run midway through the final frame to put their lead at its largest at 58-40. Danica Kocer drained back-to-back three-pointers for BHSU to cut LCU's lead to 58-46, but that is as close as BHSU would get, as LCU responded with a 6-0 run to build the lead back to an 18-point advantage.
Foster and Maddox each had 10 points in the second half, as LCU shot 55.6% (10/18) from the field in the second half. LCU was 5-of-6 (83.3%) from the field in the fourth quarter. Foster led LCU with 17 points. She had three rebounds to become the second Lady Chaps member in program history to hit the 300 rebound mark in a single season. Maddox and Stovall each finished with 13 points, with Stovall scoring 11 of the points in the first half. The Lady Chaps shot 50% from the field (21/42) and held BHSU to 32.7% shooting (16/49).
Kocer (14) and Kalla Bertram (13) each finished in double figures for BHSU. They finished 25% (4/16) from long range. BHSU ends their season with a 23-8 record.
LCU improved their season overall record to 24-10. They qualified for their sixth regional championship game. The Lady Chaps qualified for their seventh regional this season, but with COVID canceling LCU's 2020 appearance, they have made it to the regional championship game every season.
TURNING POINT
In a five-minute span, which carried into the first two minutes of the second quarter, LCU put up six consecutive three-point shot attempts. They made three of the field goals, which helped them jump out to an 11-point advantage (22-11).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Of the eight regions, LCU is the highest seed (7) remaining. The South Central Region is the only regional tournament in which the host (top-seed) has been eliminated.
WHAT IS NEXT
The regional championship game is set for Monday at 7 p.m. inside Junell Center, with LCU facing UT Tyler. For the second time in the last three seasons, the South Central Regional championship game will be played without the host school playing in the championship. In 2021, LCU faced Southwestern Oklahoma State in Canyon, Texas.
