LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
TEXAS PERMIAN BASIN (10-2, 5-1) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (10-3, 5-1)
Jan. 11, 2024 • 5:30 PM
Lubbock, Texas • Rip Griffin Center (1,950)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
UTPB	Lubbock, Texas	Thur. Jan. 11	5:30 p.m.	Video	Stats

Game Notes (PDF)

GO WEST
West Division play in the Lone Star Conference heads to the Rip Griffin Center this week, as Lubbock Christian University hosts UT Permian Basin Thursday (5:30 p.m.) and Angelo State Saturday (1 p.m.) for their first divisional home games of the season. LCU opened West Division play on the road last week and went 2-0 with wins over Cameron and Midwestern state, which improved their conference record to 5-1 and overall record to 10-3. LCU has won their last three games and five of their last six.

FOR THE STUDENTS
Thursday is "Hawaiian Night," as LCU students are encouraged to wear their best Hawaiian-themed outfits. A best-dressed award winner will be selected during halftime of the women's game and given a prize. Along with the halftime promotions and games, one lucky student will have the opportunity to win two free tickets to a Lauren Daigle concert during halftime of the men's game. Also Thursday, the first 100 students will receive FREE POPCORN.

EXTRA EXTRA
Saturday, LCU concluded their first West Division road trip with a 2-0 mark following a 68-61 overtime win Saturday at Midwestern State. Grace Foster (21 points) and Audrey Robertson (18 points) combined for 39 points in the win, which put LCU at 2-0 this season in overtime results. LCU led for 37:31 of the game and outscored MSU 9-2 in overtime (LCU has outscored opponents 19-7 in overtime this season).
 
GRACE AGAIN
The Lone Star Conference announced their women's basketball weekly honors and Lubbock Christian University's Grace Foster was recognized as the Offensive Player of the Week. Foster led LCU (on the week) in both points per game (19.5) and rebounds per game (9.0), as she was a rebound shy of a double-double in each of the contests (wins at Cameron and MSU). She opened with 18 points, nine rebounds and a trio of assists at Cameron, before leading LCU to an overtime win at Midwestern State with 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists. She was 3-of-6 from three-point range at MSU, as she notched her 20th career performance of at least 20 points scored in a game. Her totals on the week included 18 rebounds (all defensive) and nine assists. Foster was a +28 for the week (+14 average per game). Foster's weekly honor is the second of the season and sixth of her career (fifth offensive honor). She claims the Lady Chaps third weekly accolade this season and her second honor of the season (claimed her first on Dec. 18). Maci Maddox claimed a defensive honor Nov. 14.
 
SEASON NOTES AND TRENDS
> LCU opened the season with at least 20 points from the free-throw line in their first four games this season, marking their first four-game span of 20-or-more free-throws since Feb. 18 – Mar.23, 2017. The Lady Chaps are taking advantage from the free-throw line, making 79.3% of their attempts (191/241, which is ninth nationally) and averaging 14.7 points a game from the line (45th nationally). Grace Foster has gone 13-of-13 from the free-throw line twice this season and had an active streak of 29 consecutive made free-throws earlier this season. Each of the 13-made free-throw performances involve the most free-throws made in a game (13) since Nicole Hampton had 15 on Jan. 14, 2016 (third-most since 2008). Foster had 13 on Nov. 5 against Adams State at home, which set a Rip Griffin Center record. Foster's 13-of-13 marks are each one off Hampton's 14-of-14 school-record performance on Jan. 14, 2016 (at Newman). Her 13-of-13 on Nov.5 did mark a new Rip Griffin Center record previously held by Laynee Burr, who was 12-of-12 on Feb. 4, 2022 (against Midwestern State). The performance at the line for Foster on Nov. 12 against CSU Pueblo marked her sixth game in which she was perfect from the line with six-or-more consecutive shots made. Foster is 68-of-74 on the season (.919, second in the LSC and seventh nationally), which leads the squad (of qualifiers). Shaylee Stovall, who is 22-of-23 (95.7%), is 10.5-made free-throws away from qualifying as the team's leader (NCAA minimum to qualify is 2.5 made free-throws per game). Stovall enters Thursday with an active streak of 21 consecutive made free-throws.

> The Lady Chaps have two players in the top-15 in LSC scoring so far this season. Foster is averaging 18.0 points per game, which ranks second in the LSC. Maci Maddox is ranking 15th in the LSC with 12.8 points per game. The pair are also in top-five in minutes played, with Maddox leading the conference (fourth in the nation) with 37.7 minutes played per game (Foster is fourth in LSC at 33.2). Maddox is fifth in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.4 (she led all LSC players on the week last week).

> Foster is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game (13th in the LSC), but is fourth in the LSC averaging 6.4 defensive rebounds per game. She led the LSC last season with a pace of 7.5 defensive rebounds per game.
 
> Maci Maddox leads LCU in steals with 26 on the season (12th in LSC) and ranks 13th in the LSC with a pace of 2.0 steals per game. She opened the season with at least one steal in the first seven games (has had at least one steal in 11 of 13 games this season) and had steals in 10 consecutive games (dating back to last season). Maddox opened last season with at least one steal in the first 11 games.
 
> LCU has shot at least 50% from the field in three of their 13 games this season. As a team, LCU is second in the LSC and 27th nationally with a 44.7% shooting percentage from the field. LCU leads the LSC and is ninth nationally in three-point shooting, as they are 67-of-180 (37.2%) from long range.  The Lady Chaps have nine three-pointers in each of their last two games, which each matching a season-high total.
 
MILESTONE
Grace Foster scored 27 points Sunday, December 10, 2023 to surpass 1,000 career points. She is the first Lady Chaps member to reach 1,000 career points since Ashton Duncan completed the task Feb. 17, 2022 against Eastern New Mexico. She recorded nine rebounds Thursday at Cameron to surpass 500 career rebounds.
 
CONFERENCE CONVERSATION
For a fourth time (fifth season in LSC), LCU jumped out to a 2-0 start in LSC play and they head into the weekend 5-1 in LSC action. They are coming off a conference win (68-61win at Midwestern State Saturday in overtime), which put them 4-0 this season in LSC road games. They come home, where they are 1-1 in LSC play. Grace Foster leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 19.3 points a game (second in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Audrey Robertson (13.5 points) and Maci Maddox (10.7 points). Foster, who leads LCU with a pace of 7.0 rebounds per game, is 26-of-28 (92.9%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 72.4% (71/98) from the line in conference action.

NATIONALLY KNOWN (OR UNKNOWN)
Despite returning five starters from a regional-finalist squad, which also shared a divisional title, LCU did not garner the attention of voters in the preseason. This season, LCU received Top-25 votes in the WBCA Preseason Poll, but it is their first time they did not make the Top-25 for a WBCA preseason poll since the start of the 2017-18 season (second time not in a WBCA Preseason Poll since becoming eligible for the poll in 2015-16… WBCA did not conduct a preseason poll in 2020-21 due to COVID). Also, since joining NCAA Division II (2015-16 was their first postseason eligible season), the Lady Chaps have appeared in every D2CSC Preseason Poll until this season, as they also received votes in the D2CSC Top-25 Preseason Poll. LCU was ranked as high as No.18 in the D2CSC rankings (earlier this season), but currently they are receiving votes.

SO ARE SOME OTHERS
LCU fell to No.12 Southern Nazarene (Nov. 25), placing them with a 0-2 record this season against nationally ranked programs (lost to No.17 Union in their season opener). LCU went 6-0 against nationally ranked programs in 2020-21, 3-2 in 2021-22 (opened 3-0) and 2-5 last season against Top-25 competition. Of LCU's three losses this season, two of the opponents have been nationally ranked and the other opponent was receiving votes.

OUR HOME
LCU is 4-2 at home this season. Grace Foster is leading LCU with 18.5 points per game on the home floor (also averaging 7.0 rebounds). The Lady Chaps, shooting 45.2% from the field inside "The Rip," are also receiving averages of 11.5 points a game from Maci Maddox. LCU is 88-of-113 from the free-throw line (77.9%) at home this season, with Shaylee Stovall 13-of-14 from the charity stripe.

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
The Lady Chaps, who went 12-2 at home last season, are 4-2 this season at home. On Feb. 2, 2023, 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. LCU also went 11-0 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

EYE-OPENING
The 2023-24 season marks LCU's 11th since leaving the NAIA and LCU has a 276-50 record (84.7%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%).
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT UTPB
1 > The Falcons produced a 13-15 record last season, which included a 10-12 conference record and a seventh-place finish in the West Division (4-10 divisional record).
2 > UTPB has turned things around this season, as they are 10-2 overall and they have a 5-1 mark in LSC play. The Falcons have won their last six games and head to Lubbock with a 1-2 road record.
3 > UT Permian Basin is picked to 10th in the LSC this season, as they took the No.10 spot (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They are fourth among West Division squads.
4 > Ranking 21^st nationally, UTPB gets to the line for free-throws, averaging 22.1 attempts per game. They make 15.3 per game (31^st nationally). Alexus Quaadman leads the team averaging 3.8 points per game from the line.  
5 > Quaadman is the top rebounder in the LSC, as she averages 11.2 per game (ninth nationally). She ranks seventh nationally with an average of 4.4 offensive rebounds per game. Quaadman ranks 12^th nationally with six double-double performances on the season.

THE SERIES AGAINST UTPB
LCU is 28-0 all-time against the Falcons. They are 16-0 against UTPB in Lubbock and 12-0 all-time against the Falcons all-time as conference opponents (1-0 against the Falcons in conference postseason play). Only two of the last six meetings have been at home, including their prior meeting (resulted in a 70-50 LCU win on Feb. 4, 2023). The two programs have been conference foes in both the Heartland and Lone Star Conference.
 
ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. UTPB
Top-three LCU active career leaders against UTPB:
 
Grace Foster 3gp, 12.0 points p/g, 5.3 reb. p/g
Audrey Robertson 5gp, 9.8 points p/g, 18/33 fg
Taylor Thomas 2gp, 7.5 points p/g, 2.0 assists p/g

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. UTPB
Feb. 4, 2023 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU: 70 – UTPB: 50
LCU outscored UT Permian Basin 41-14 in the first half off 63.6% shooting from the field in the span to cruise past the Falcons 70-50 in a Lone Star Conference West Division meeting inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
It was the third game this season LCU never trailed, but the opening six minutes did not show signs that LCU was going to be able to put the game into cruise control. After Maci Maddox hit a three-pointer for the Lady Chaps, to jump-start a 5-0 LCU run, UTPB's Avalon Munoz scored four straight points to put the Falcons a point back of LCU (7-6) with 4:30 remaining in the first quarter. LCU would then respond with the next 14 points, keeping UTPB off the scoreboard for 5:46.
 
LCU, beginning the run with a jumper from Audrey Robertson, closed the first quarter with an 8-0 run (led 15-6 at the end of the first quarter) and opened the second quarter with back-to-back three-pointers from Robertson to start the quarter on a 6-0 run for a 21-6 lead. Alexus Quaadman ended the Falcons dry spell with a layup, but UTPB would go scoreless another 4:32, as Robertson drained another three-pointer and LCU produced an 8-0 run. Grace Foster nailed a three-pointer to end the 8-0 run, which was part of a 22-2 scoring surge for the Lady Chaps. LCU'S Carli Bostwick would produce six points in the quarter, with the points tallied during a 10-2 run to put LCU up 39-12 with 1:44 left in the half.
 
The Lady Chaps would outscore UTPB 26-8 in the second quarter and 34-8 over the final 14:30 of the half. LCU led 41-14 at the break off 63.6% (14/22) shooting. They were 5-of-8 (62.5%) from the outside. The Lady Chaps, who were 8-of-12 (66.7%) from the field in the second quarter, received 11 points in the first half from Audrey Robertson.
 
Each team would have a 7-0 run in the third quarter, as UTPB started to generate some offense. Quaadman was 5-of-5 from the field in the third quarter and tallied 10 points in the quarter for the Falcons, but LCU continued to roll. Three-pointers from Rachel Haase and Taylor Thomas helped LCU go on a 10-2 run and they had their largest lead of the game (55-25) with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter. LCU led 57-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Freshman Martie McCoy was the only LCU starter to play in the fourth quarter. LCU scored 13 points in the fourth quarter and 10 were from freshmen. Tia Johnson led LCU with five points in the quarter.
 
The Lady Chaps received point-production from 12 of their 13 players, with Foster (13 points) and Robertson (11 points) finishing in double digits. LCU finished 53.2% (25/47) from the field and 45% (9/20) from three-point range. They were also 11-of-12 (91.7%) from the free-throw line.
 
UTPB received a game-high 17 points from Quaadman and 10 points from Kamari Portalis. The Falcons finished 33.3% (20/60) from the field.