2023 NCAA DIVISION II SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL - CHAMPIONSHIP
No.5-Seed UT TYLER (26-7) vs. No.7-Seed LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (24-10)
Mar. 13, 2023 7:00 PM
San Angelo, Texas - Junell Center (6,500)
 

NCAA DIVISION II SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
No.5-seed UT Tyler	San Angelo, Texas	Mon. Mar. 13	5 p.m.	Video	Stats
GAME NOTES (PDF)

  
AFTERMATH
Sixteen teams of the 64 teams in the field of the NCAA Division II women's basketball national tournament remain and the two highest seeds of the remaining 16 teams are in San Angelo, Texas. No.7-seed Lubbock Christian University and No.5-seed UT Tyler will aim to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo. Monday night inside Junell Center.
 
THE "IF's"
IF LCU WINS: If the Lady Chaps defeat UTT, they will improve to 25-10 on the season and will claim their fifth South Central Region title in program history (all since 2015-16 season), which will double as their fifth Elite Eight berth (first since Columbus, Ohio in 2020).

IF LCU LOSES: If the Lady Chaps fall to the Patriots, they will suffer their second NCAA regional loss in program history and will have their season end with a 24-11 record. It would mark a second consecutive Regional Championship Finalist finish.
 
GOLD IN THEM HILLS
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.

Grace Foster and Maci 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 Shaylee 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).

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.

GOAT-MEZ
Saturday's win not only put LCU into the regional final, but it was Steve Gomez's 500^th career win. Gomez's 500th 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 20th season as head coach and is at a pace of 25 wins per season. His overall coaching record is 500-142.

His 500th win (his 24th 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.
 
SUCH GRACE!
Lubbock Christian University's Grace Foster was selected as the South Central Region Most Outstanding Player and she highlights the 2022-2023 Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-South Central Region Women's Basketball Team announced Thursday. Voting for the award was conducted by NCAA Division II members of the College Sports Communicators (D2SIDA / CSC).

Foster becomes the fourth LCU student-athlete to claim the region's Most Outstanding Player honors. LCU has claimed the four honors over an eight-year span since becoming NCAA postseason eligible in 2015-16. Foster joins Maddi Chitsey (2020), Tess Bruffey (2018) and Nicole Hampton (2016) as LCU's recipients of the accolade.

SEASON NOTES AND TRENDS
> Grace Foster is sprinkled throughout the statistical leaderboard in the LSC, as she leads the LSC in double-doubles (with 13 to rank 23^rd nationally) and leads in rebounds (300, which is 15^th nationally), while ranking second in rebounds per game (8.8). Her 300 rebounds on the season ranks as the second-best single season mark in program history. The sophomore is 11 boards away from moving past Nicole Hampton's 2012-13 season total of 310 rebounds. On the offensive side, Foster leads the LSC in free-throw percentage (91.6%, seventh nationally) and is third in the LSC in scoring (16.5 points per game).
> LCU ranks second in the LSC in three-point shooting with a 33.7% shooting percentage from the perimeter this season. Opposing teams are shooting 26.8% from three-point range, which defensively places LCU third in the LSC in perimeter defense (20^th nationally). LCU's perimeter defense was fourth nationally until TWU shot a LSC Championship record 72.7% from outside at the LSC Championships in Frisco.
> Maci Maddox ranks third in the LSC with 143 assists (22^nd nationally) and is fourth with 4.2 assists per game. Defensively, Maddox ranks seventh in the LSC in steals (62) and 10th in steals per game (1.8).
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 36.1 rebounds per game, posting a high of 48 against Cameron (Dec. 30). LCU has not averaged over 40 rebounds in a season since averaging 40.3 during the 2015-16 season. Grace Foster (8.8), Audrey Robertson (4.7) and Reese Schumann (4.7) are each averaging 4.7-or-more rebounds per game. LCU sits third in the LSC in defensive rebounds per game (28.1, 43^rd nationally) and 12^th in overall rebounds per game (36.1).
> LCU has a 510-397 scoring advantage from the line this season against their opposition (however, LCU has been outscored 142-131 from the line on the road). They have at least 20 points scored from the line eight times this season. On the campaign, LCU is shooting 77.6% (510/657) from the line, which leads the LSC and ranks 18^th nationally. The Lady Chaps rank 25^th nationally and seventh in the LSC in free-throws made per game (15.0). Grace Foster is 141-of-154 (91.6%) from the line this season to lead LCU. Audrey Robertson (93-of-118, 78.8%, eighth in the LSC) joins Foster in the top-eight in the LSC.
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 67.5 points per contest (averaged 65.9 per game last season), which ranks fourth in the LSC, and they have a trio of players averaging double figures in points. Grace Foster (16.5), Maci Maddox (10.7) and Audrey Robertson (10.3) lead the average scoring pace for the Lady Chaps.
>Defensively, Lubbock Christian is sixth in the LSC in blocks per game (2.9). Reese Schumann leads LCU in blocks (39), ranking fourth in the LSC (46^th nationally), and Grace Foster ranks 14^th in the LSC with 25 blocks. Schumann's average of 1.2 blocks per game ranks seventh in the LSC.
>LCU's has dominated third quarters this season, as they have a 594-473 scoring advantage in the third quarter this season (average scoring advantage of 17.4 - 13.9). The 17.4 points per third quarter scoring mark leads as their highest single-quarter scoring average of the four quarters this season, and their 13.9 points allowed per third quarter ranks as their second-best defensive quarter of the four quarters this season (allow 13.0 points per quarter in first quarter).

WHEN IT'S NEUTRAL
The Lady Chaps are 4-4 on a neutral site court this season, which includes a win against No.15 Montana State Billings (60-58 on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas, Nev.) and No.10 Texas Woman's (Friday in the Quarterfinals). Six of the eight games this season have come against teams either nationally ranked or receiving votes (five ranked in top-15). LCU has three players averaging double figures offensively in neutral site games. Grace Foster leads the way with an average of 18.3 points per game. Maci Maddox (11.6) and Audrey Robertson (10.1) and have aided Foster and the Lady Chaps offensively. Robertson (4.6), Reese Schumann (4.5) and Maddox (4.4) have helped add balance and bolster a team rebound rate of 35.0 per game, with Foster leading LCU with 6.0 per game. LCU is shooting 81.3% as a team from the free-throw line, with Foster at a 37-of-38 (97.4%) mark in neutral site play.

CONFERENCE CALL
Lubbock Christian went 15-6 in Lone Star Conference play. A trio of Lady Chaps paced the scoring attack in conference play, as Grace Foster (16.0, which was fourth in the LSC), Maci Maddox (10.4) and Audrey Robertson (10.3) are averaging double figures in scoring in conference contests. Foster also averaged 9.2 rebounds per game in conference (second in LSC). LCU paced the scoring with 67.9 points per game (third in the LSC) in conference (shooting a LSC-best 43.6% from the field) and they posted an 11.3-point (led the LSC) scoring margin (defense led the LSC holding opponents to 56.6 points per game). Maddox averaged 4.5 assists per game (third in the LSC), which helped LCU rank second in the LSC with a pace of 14.1 per conference game. Their assist/turnover ratio of 0.98 led the LSC.

TOURNEY TALK
LCU is 24-2 all-time in NCAA postseason play, all since becoming NCAA postseason eligible in 2015-16, and they are 15-1 in South Central Regional play all-time. Monday's tip will mark LCU's 10th game in a regional to not be played at home. LCU played the first two rounds of the 2018-19 South Central Regional in Grand Junction, Colo. and played the past two season's regional in Canyon before arriving in San Angelo. The Lady Chaps are 8-1 in those games, which include a 56-53 win in 2019 at Colorado Mesa for their lone true road win in the mix of regional games (1-1 in road games and 7-0 in neutral site contests).

Lubbock Christian is shooting 50.0% all-time in NCAA South Central Regional games, while holding opponents to a 37.8% shooting mark from the field and a 25.8% shooting woe from long range. Former Lady Chaps Maddi Chitsey is LCU's all-time leading scorer in regional action (in average scoring), averaging 17.2 points per game (she played in six career NCAA regional contests) and compiling 103 points. Allie Schulte is LCU's career leader in overall points scored in regional play with 109 career points in 11 career games. Schulte is also LCU's all-time leader in NCAA postseason scoring with 205 career points (in 18 games, which is the highest amount of postseason games played by a Lady Chap).

Grace Foster, a sophomore guard from Childress, Texas, is LCU's active leader in postseason scoring with 62 points and an average 12.4 points per game. The Lone Star Conference Player of the Year is 19-of-37 (.514) from the field and 21-of-22 from the free-throw line in five career NCAA postseason games. Her 29-point performance Friday against TWU marked the highest single-game point total in LCU's NCAA postseason history. She needs 20 points to pass Olivia Robertson's program record for points in a single tournament (65 from 2019). Audrey Robertson (6 games), Maci Maddox (6), Whitney Cox (3) and Shaylee Stovall (4) are active members on the LCU roster leading with experience appearing in NCAA regional contests.

LCU's ALL-TIME REGIONAL'S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
2015-2016
Tess Bruffey (MOP)
Nicole Hampton
Haley Fowler
 
2017-2018
Tess Bruffey (MOP)
Maddi Chitsey
 
2018-2019
Olivia Robertson (MOP)
Maddi Chitsey
 
2020-2021
Emma Middleton (MOP)
Allie Schulte
Juliana Robertson
 
2021-2022
Ashton Duncan
Juliana Robertson
 
SPEAKING OF HONORS
The Lone Star Conference recognized three Lady Chaparrals with conference honors for this season:
Grace Foster (First Team, Conference Player of the Year)
Maci Maddox (Second Team)
Audrey Robertson (Third Team)

RANKING THINGS
LCU is 2-5 against nationally ranked programs this season, with a Dec. 17 win over No.15 MSU Billings in Las Vegas, Nev. and Friday's regional win over No.10 Texas Woman's. They fell in their season opener (Nov.5) to No.6 Southern Missouri State and to No.13 Georgia Southwestern State (Dec. 16) in neutral site games before falling to No.7 Texas Woman's (Jan. 21 in Denton and Mar. 4 in Frisco) and at home against No.14 Angelo State (Feb.2). LCU went 6-0 against nationally ranked programs in 2020-21 and 3-2 in 2021-22 against the nations ranked foes (opened 3-0). The Lady Chaps have played seven games against nationally ranked programs and nine games against programs either nationally ranked or receiving top-25 votes.

EYE-OPENING
The 2022-23 season marks LCU's 10th since leaving the NAIA, and heading into Monday's action, LCU is 266-46 in that span (85.3%). In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-2 all-time (15-1 in regionals).

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
On Feb. 2, the NCAA Division II record home win streak came to a close, as LCU fell to Angelo State, which ended the record win streak at 113. The loss was LCU's first at home since Jan. 1, 2015 against Oklahoma City University. LCU, who also had a 7-0 mark in NCAA postseason play in Lubbock in the mix (not including a 4-0 mark in LSC postseason play), had also won 88 consecutive home conference games (their last conference home loss occurred Jan. 10, 2013 against Oklahoma City). They completed a 49-0 all-time mark in Heartland Conference home games (they are 35-1 in LSC home games). LCU also went 11-1 during their 113-game home win streak against nationally ranked programs.

NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
113 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 - Feb. 2, 2023
87 - Neb. Kearney Jan. 31, 1995-Nov. 24, 2001
85 - West Tex. A&M Jan. 9, 1987-Dec. 6, 1991

NCAA DIVISION LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS BY DIVISION
Division I - 99 - UConn 2006/07 - 2011/12
Division II - 113 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 - Feb. 2, 2023
Division III - 121 - Amherst Jan. 31, 2009-Feb. 6, 2016 

FIVE THINGS ABOUT UTT
1 > The Patriots enter Monday's action 26-7 on the season. They went 18-4 in LSC action, finishing second in the East Division. They arrived in the South Central Regional title game after wins over No.4-seed Colorado School of Mines (73-63) and host No.1-seed Angelo State (71-61).
2 > UTT, preseason slated at No.5 in the LSC Preseason Poll, has Meagan Mendazona leading the Patriots in the regional, averaging 20.5 points a game. She averages 12.2 points per game on the season.
3 > UT Tyler, who went 11-0 at home this season, is 4-2 in neutral site play this season.
4 > The Pats rank 27^th nationally and leads the LSC defensively averaging an allowance of 57.6 points per game. They rank 10^th nationally holding opponents to a field goal shooting percentage of 34.8%.
5 > Lovisa Hevinder averages 2.4 three-pointers per game, which ranks second in the LSC. She is shooting 39.0% from the field, ranking 36^th nationally. She ranks 25^th nationally with 76 three-pointers on the season.

THE SERIES AGAINST UTT
LCU leads the all-times series 4-1 over UTT, with the one UTT win coming earlier this season with a 69-57 final in Tyler (Jan. 19). The Patriots are in their fourth season since transitioning from Division III to Division II and in their second season of postseason eligibility. Each game of the all-time series has been played in Tyler, Texas. LCU topped UTT 57-37 last season (Jan. 15, 2022) in their lone meeting of the season, which is the last time LCU has a win in the series.

ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. UTT
LCU's active career leaders against UTT:

Rachel Haase 1gp, 11 points, 3/7 3-FG 
Maci Maddox 4gp, 6.0 pts p/g, 6/10 3-FG
Shaylee Stovall 3gp, 5.0 pts p/g, 6/12 FG


PRIOR MEETING VS. UTT
TYLER, Texas (January 19, 2023) - A rare occurrence took place in Lone Star Conference play inside Patriot Center, as Lubbock Christian University closed the game's final 6:26 scoreless while UT Tyler ended on a 20-0 run to hand the Lady Chaparrals a 69-57 loss.

It marks the second consecutive road game LCU has let a second half lead of at least nine points slip away, but LCU's loss Thursday marked something LCU fans have not seen since Jan. 1, 2015 against Oklahoma City (no not their last home loss). Thursday, LCU let a 16-point second half lead slip away, marking their largest lead resulting in a loss since they allowed OCU to march back from an 18-point deficit.

LCU's first two field goals of the second half were three-pointers and Grace Foster's trey 2:34 into the third quarter provided LCU a 40-24 lead. They maintained the lead, but with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter (and 1:43 into a segment of a sequence of 4:36 in which LCU closed the quarter without a field goal) momentum started to shift. Martina Machalova had her second and-one three-point play of the quarter to cap a 7-0 run to close the quarter for UTT, who cut LCU's lead to 49-40 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Lady Chaps thrived on three-pointers (more on that later), but UTT made noise from long range in the fourth quarter, as Montse Gutierrez hit back-to-back three-pointers (two of her three three-pointers of the quarter) to trim LCU's lead to 53-46. Her second three-pointer ignited a 5-0 run, which was part of an 8-2 run and LCU's lead was cut to 53-48 with 7:25 remaining. Maci Maddox hit a jumper with 6:26 left to put LCU up 57-49, but it would be LCU's final point of the game.

UTT closed the game on a 2-0 run over the final 6:15 of the game. Machalova, who had 16 points in the second half, had six points in the fourth quarter, including a four-point play to highlight the run. LCU, which was sitting at 50% from the three-point range on their first 22 attempts (11/22), closed the game missing their final eight three-point attempts (including all six of their attempts in the fourth quarter).

Three-pointers carried LCU early on. LCU was held to three field goals in the first quarter, but all three were from long range. Despite shooting 23.1% (3/13) from the field in the first quarter, LCU trailed 12-9 in at the close of the quarter. LCU's offense came to life in the second quarter, as 19 seconds into the frame, Rachel Haase connected on a three-pointer to tie the game 12-12. Shaylee Stovall gave LCU the lead (14-12) with LCU's first two-point field goal of the game (55 seconds into the second quarter). LCU had a pair of 5-0 runs, an 8-0 run and a 4-0 run in the quarter. They were 8-of-11 from the field in the quarter (72.7%) and they outscored UTT 25-10 in the quarter behind 10 points from Stovall for a 34-22 halftime lead.

LCU finished the game with more three-point field goals (season high 11) than two-point field goals (9). Ironically, the last time LCU had more "threes" than "twos" was January 15, 2022 in Tyler against UTT (12 of 20 field goals were three-pointers). Thursday, they launched a season-high 30 attempts. Maci Maddox had a team-high and career-high four three-pointers, including a 40-foot conversion to beat the halftime horn. Stovall and Haase each hit a trio of three-pointers.

Maddox led LCU with 14 points and was one of three Lady Chaps with at least 10 points in the game. Stovall finished with 13 points and Haase added 11 points off 4-of-9 shooting from the field and added a career-high four assists (Haase played 22 minutes). Foster led LCU with 10 rebounds.

LCU was plagued by 25 turnovers (and fouls but more on that later), which led to UTT outscoring LCU 29-16 in points-off-turnovers. The 25 turnovers were also rare, as the mark was the most for the Lady Chaps since 29 turnovers on March 27, 2019 (against Drury in Columbus, Ohio).

UTT had five players finish in double figures, led by 21 points from Machalova. Frances King (13 points), Lovisa Hevinder (12 points), Montse Gutierrez (11 points) and Destini Whitehead (10 points) joined Machalova. The Patriots had five three pointers in the game (5/16, 31.3%) and finished the game 41.5% (22/53) from the field.