2023 NCAA DIVISION II SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL - QUARTERFINALS
No.2-Seed No.10 TEXAS WOMAN'S (26-5) vs. No.7-Seed LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (22-10)
Mar. 10, 2023 • 2:30 PM
San Angelo, Texas • Junell Center (6,500)
 

NCAA DIVISION II SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
No.2-seed No.10 TWU	San Angelo, Texas	Fri. Mar. 10	2:30 p.m.	Video	Stats
GAME NOTES (PDF)

  

TO THE CONCHO VALLEY
Lubbock Christian University qualified for their seventh NCAA Division II postseason and receive the No.7-seed, as they head to San Angelo, Texas, where Angelo State will serve as the top seed and host of the eight-team single elimination tournament. They open facing No.2-seed Texas Woman's, who received an at-large berth after falling to Angelo State in the Lone Star Conference Championships title game Sunday. Tip-off against Texas Woman's, who is LCU's previous opponent, is set for 2:20 p.m. Friday.
 
THE "IF's"
IF LCU WINS: If the Lady Chaps defeat TWU, they will improve to 23-10 on the season and will advance to the tournament semifinal game to face either No.3-seed Regis or No.6-seed Black Hills State Saturday at 5 p.m. in San Angelo.

IF LCU LOSES: If the Lady Chaps fall to the Pioneers, they will suffer their second NCAA regional loss in program history and will have their season end with a 22-11 record.   
 
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 is on a Lady Chaparrals squad that is 22-10 this season and heading into the NCAA Division II South Central Regional as the No.7-seed. She leads the team with 16.1 points per game (third in the Lone Star Conference and seventh in the region) and 290 rebounds (leads the region) en route to claiming Lone Star Conference Player of the Year honors. The sophomore forward from Childress, Texas also leads the region in defensive rebounds per game (7.7), free-throw percentage (.911, ranking sixth nationally) and is second in the region in double-doubles (13).

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 22^nd nationally) and leads in rebounds (290, which is 17^th nationally), while ranking second in rebounds per game (9.1, which is 45^th nationally). Her 290 rebounds on the season, which ranks as the second-best single season mark in program history. The sophomore is 20 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 (91.1%, sixth nationally) and is third in the LSC in scoring (16.1 points per game).
> LCU ranks second in the LSC in three-point shooting with a 33.6% shooting percentage from the perimeter this season. Opposing teams are shooting 27.2% from three-point range, which defensively places LCU fourth in the LSC in perimeter defense (30^th nationally). LCU's perimeter defense was fourth nationally until TWU shot a LSC Championship record 72.7% from outside Saturday.
> Maci Maddox ranks third in the LSC with 138 assists (27^th nationally) and is fourth with 4.3 assists per game (46^th nationally). Defensively, Maddox ranks seventh in the LSC in steals (59) and 10th in steals per game (1.8).
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 36.5 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 (9.1), Audrey Robertson (4.9) and Reese Schumann (4.8) are each averaging 4.8-or-more rebounds per game. LCU sits third in the LSC in defensive rebounds per game (28.2, 35^th nationally) and ninth in overall rebounds per game (36.5).
> LCU has a 473-369 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 seven times this season. On the campaign, LCU is shooting 77.3% (473/612) from the line, which leads the LSC and ranks 18^th nationally. The Lady Chaps rank 28th nationally and seventh in the LSC in free-throws made per game (14.8). Grace Foster is 123-of-135 (91.1%) from the line this season to lead LCU. Audrey Robertson (91-of-112, 81.3%, fifth in the LSC) joins Foster in the top-five in the LSC.
>The Lady Chaps are averaging 67.8 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 (16.1), Maci Maddox (10.6) and Audrey Robertson (10.4) lead the average scoring pace for the Lady Chaps.
>Defensively, Lubbock Christian is fifth in the LSC in blocks per game (3.0). Reese Schumann leads LCU in blocks (37), ranking fourth in the LSC (50th nationally), and Grace Foster ranks 13th in the LSC with 24 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 562-440 scoring advantage in the third quarter this season (average scoring advantage of 17.6 - 13.8). The 17.6 points per third quarter scoring mark leads as their highest single-quarter scoring average of the four quarters this season, and their 13.6 points allowed per third quarter ranks as their second-best defensive quarter of the four quarters this season (allow 13.3 points per quarter in first quarter).

WHEN IT'S NEUTRAL
The Lady Chaps are 2-4 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.). Five of the six games this season have come against teams either nationally ranked or receiving votes (four 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 16.7 points per game. Audrey Robertson (10.7) and Maci Maddox (10.7) have aided Foster and the Lady Chaps offensively. Robertson (5.7) and Whitney Cox (4.4) have helped bolster a team rebound rate of 36.8 per game, with Foster leading LCU with 6.3 per game. LCU is shooting 80.9% as a team from the free-throw line, with Foster at a 19-of-19 (100%) 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 22-2 all-time in NCAA postseason play, all since becoming NCAA postseason eligible in 2015-16, and they are 13-1 in South Central Regional play all-time. Friday's tip will mark LCU's eighth 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. The Lady Chaps are 6-1 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 5-0 in neutral site contests).

Lubbock Christian is shooting 50.4% all-time in NCAA South Central Regional games, while holding opponents to a 38.3% shooting mark from the field and a 26.5% 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 16 points and an average 5.3 points per game. The Lone Star Conference Player of the Year is 6-of-14 (.429) from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line in three career NCAA postseason games. Audrey Robertson (4 games), Maci Maddox (4 games), Whitney Cox (3) and Shaylee Stovall (2) are active members on the LCU roster 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 1-5 against nationally ranked programs this season, with a Dec. 17 win over No.15 MSU Billings in Las Vegas, Nev. representing their lone win so far against a ranked opponent this season. 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 six games against nationally ranked programs and eight 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 Friday's action, LCU is 264-46 in that span (85.2%). In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 22-2 all-time (13-1 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 TWU
1 > The Pioneers enter Friday 26-5 on the season. They went 19-3 in LSC action to take the No.1-seed. They claimed the East Division title and the LSC regular season title. They fell 63-62 to Angelo State in the LSC Championships title game.
2 > TWU, preseason slated at No.3 in the LSC Preseason Poll, had Ashley Ingram and Sadie Moyer claim All-LSC First Team honors and Keslyn King claimed Honorable Mention accolades.
3 > Texas Woman's is 5-1 neutral site contests this season.
4 > The Pioneers are the most discipline team in the LSC this season, as they average 14.5 fouls per game. They have a 495-318 advantage in free-throw attempts on the season.
5 > Ashley Ingram has 146 free-throws made on the season, which is 10th nationally and leads the LSC. She averages 5.0 points per game from the line.

THE SERIES AGAINST TWU
The meeting will mark the second NCAA postseason meeting between the two programs. The teams met in the 2016 South Central Regional in Lubbock, Texas, which was LCU's postseason debut game and one LCU won 95-75 inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU leads the all-time series 6-3, but the Pioneers have won the previous two meetings this season. The Lady Chaps had a four-game win streak in the all-time series until dropping the regular season clash in Denton, Texas 76-69 (Jan. 21).

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

Maci Maddox 2gp, 9.5 pts p/g, 3/5 3-FG, 5.0 reb. p/g., 4.0 assists p/g
Shaylee Stovall 3gp, 7.7 pts p/g, 5/7 3-FG
Grace Foster 3gp, 11.7 pts p/g,

PRIOR MEETING VS. TWU
FRISCO, Texas (March 4, 2023) - For top-seed and No.11 Texas Woman's University, everything went right, and for No.4-seed Lubbock Christian University, nothing went right. For the first time in over 10 years, LCU fell by a margin greater than 30, falling 84-49 in a Lone Star Conference Semifinals contest inside Comerica Center Saturday

The last time LCU suffered a loss of 35 points or more was on January 2, 2010 in Oklahoma City, Okla., as LCU fell 94-40 to Oklahoma City. There were a slew of similarities in the two games as seen here:

1/2/2010
LCU shooting percentage:28.2%
LCU shooting percentage from three-point range: 0% (0/15)
Opponents shooting percentage: 56.1%
Halftime score: 45-15

3/23/2023
LCU shooting percentage: 29.3%
LCU shooting percentage from three-point range: 7.1% (1/14)
Opponents shooting percentage: 55.4%
Halftime score: 49-15

Saturday, TWU hit 13 three-pointers and set a Lone Star Conference Championship (conference tournament) record with a 72.2% (13/18) mark from three-point range. They made their first seven three-point attempts and 10 of their first 11 from long range. Four different Pioneers connected from three-point range, including Ashley Ingram, who entered the game with three on the season and was 2-of-2 in the contest. TWU completed the task against a LCU perimeter defense that entered the game ranked eighth nationally, as LCU entered with a percentage of holding opponents to a 25.6% shooting mark from outside.

As for LCU, they were unable to find success outside. Grace Foster made her only three-point attempt and it was LCU's only three-pointer of the game. They were 7.1% from outside (1/14) which was a season-low and their lowest percentage from beyond the perimeter since shooting the same rate last season at Angelo State (Jan. 27, 2022).

Overall, LCU shot a season-low from the field (29.3%, 17/58). Foster was a bright spot for LCU, leading the team with 15 points off 6-of-10 shooting. LCU and TWU were even in points-off-turnovers, as LCU committed less than 10 turnovers in the game (9). LCU also received a career-high 12 points from Audrey Spurgin. On the struggling end, LCU had five different players with multiple shot attempts finish the game without a made field goal (those individuals combined to go 0-of-21 from the field). As a team, LCU opened the game 3-of-21 (14.3%) from the field, which included a 1-of-14 stretch.

TWU had 17 points each from Brielle Woods and Ashley Ingram. Woods made all seven of her shot attempts in the game, including a 3-of-3 performance from outside. Sadie Moyer added 15 points and was a +36 in plus/minus.