LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (8-3, 3-1) at CAMERON (3-8, 1-4)
Jan. 6, 2024 • 1 PM
Wichita Falls, Texas • Ligon Coliseum (3,640)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Midwestern St.	Wichita Falls, Texas	Sat. Jan. 6	1 p.m.	Video	Stats

BACK IN THE SWING
Lubbock Christian University ended the holiday break jumping into West Division play Thursday, where they claimed a 63-48 Lone Star Conference road win over Cameron, and they close out their week's play Saturday in Wichita Falls facing Midwestern State with a 1 p.m. tip-off inside Ligon Coliseum. LCU is riding a three-game road win streak and all three have been all of their LSC road games played thus far.
 
RALLYING LATE
Thursday, LCU and Cameron were tied at the half and had switched leads six times, but LCU used a 17-0 run early in the fourth quarter to prevail 63-48, behind 18 points from Grace Foster and 13 from Maci Maddox. LCU, who had a season-low seven turnovers, improved to 4-0 all-time in games tied at the half since becoming official NCAA Division II members in the 2015-16 season.
 
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 80.5% of their attempts (186/231, which is fourth nationally) and averaging 15.5 points a game from the line (30th 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 66-of-72 on the season (.917, second in the LSC and 10^th nationally), which leads the squad (of qualifiers). Shaylee Stovall, who is 22-of-23 (95.7%), is 8-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 Saturday 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 17.8 points per game, which ranks third in the LSC. Maci Maddox is ranking 15th in the LSC with 12.8 points per game. The pair are also in top-10 in minutes played, with Maddox leading the conference (10th in the nation) with 37.1 minutes played per game (Foster is sixth in LSC at 32.3). Maddox is ninth in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.3.

> Foster is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game (15th in the LSC), but is fifth in the LSC averaging 6.2 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 (11th in LSC) and ranks 10th in the LSC with a pace of 2.2 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 12 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 12 games this season. As a team, LCU is second in the LSC and 27th nationally with a 44.5% shooting percentage from the field. LCU is also second in the LSC and is 26^th in three-point shooting, as they are 58-of-163 (35.6%) from long range. 
 
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 4-1 in LSC action. They are coming off a conference win (63-48 win at Cameron Thursday) at home, which put them 3-0 this season in LSC road games. Grace Foster leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 19.0 points a game (third in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Audrey Robertson (12.6 points) and Maci Maddox (10.2 points). Foster, who leads LCU with a pace of 6.6 rebounds per game, is 24-of-26 (92.3%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 75.0% (66/88) 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 they are currently out of both national rankings.

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.

ROAD REVELATIONS
The Lady Chaparrals, who went 8-4 on the road last season, is off to a 4-1 road record this season. They have won their last three road games. Grace Foster leads LCU in road scoring with 15.6 points a game. LCU has three players averaging double-figures in scoring on the road, as Audrey Robertson (13.6) and Macy Maddox (13.0) join Foster, who leads LCU with 5.6 rebounds in road-play. LCU is shooting 81.5% (75/92) from the line on the road, compared to 60.3% (28/49) by the home team (Grace Foster is 24-of-26 from the line on the road). Maddox is showing balance on the road, as she has 2.4 steals and 3.2 assists per game to go along with her 13.0 points per game.

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 275-50 record (84.6%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%).
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT MSU
1 > The Mustangs produced a 6-22 record last season, which included a 4-18 conference record and an eighth-place finish in the West Division (2-12 divisional record).
2 > MSU is 3-9 this season overall and they have a 3-3 mark in LSC play. MSU, which opened the season 0-9, has won three consecutive games and opened West Division play Thursday with a 75-55 win over West Texas A&M behind 19 points from Kertisa Amos.
3 > Midwestern State is picked to 15th in the LSC this season, as they took the No.15 spot (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They are eighth among West Division squads.
4 > Brenita Jackson is at the helm and in her first season as the head coach of the Mustangs. She comes from Texas Wesleyan, where she posted a 52-13 record over two seasons. The two seasons in Cowtown were her only seasons coaching at four-year institutions, as she previously coached collegiately at the two-year college level.
5 > Zarria Carter enters the week ranking third nationally in offensive rebounds per game (4.8). The Texas Wesleyan transfer averages 10.8 rebounds per game, which is second in the LSC (16^th nationally). She has five double-doubles on the season, including 13 points and 11 rebounds Thursday against WTAMU for her third consecutive game with a double-double.

THE SERIES AGAINST MSU
The Mustangs command the all-time series with a 21-13 series record over LCU, which included 11 consecutive wins until LCU winning the prior six meetings. Included in a series of six straight LCU wins is a 61-37 LCU win on January 26, 2023 in Wichita Falls, Texas.  Each school has conflicting all-time records for the history of the two programs, as there were some MSU forfeitures in the mix, which enters into the confusion. The Lady Chaps are 2-14 all-time in Wichita Falls, but they have won their previous two trips to Ligon Coliseum. Of the prior 34 all-time meetings, the two programs have only met eight times since Steve Gomez's tenure as head coach of the Lady Chaps (he is 7-1 against MSU).
 
ACTIVE LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. MSU
Top-three LCU active career leaders against MSU:
 
Grace Foster 3gp, 16.3 points p/g, 7.7 reb. p/g
Shaylee Stovall 4gp, 7.8 points p/g, 5/9 3fg
Maci Maddox 3gp, 7.0 points p/g, 8/13 fg

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. MSU
Jan. 26, 2023 (Wichita Falls, Texas) – LCU: 61 – MSU: 37
Lubbock Christian University held Midwestern State to 20.4% from the field and the Lady Chaparrals claimed a 61-37 Lone Star Conference West Division win inside Ligon Coliseum.
 
Midwestern State's 20.4% shooting mark was the lowest by an LCU opponent since LCU held Western New Mexico to a 16.7% shooting mark on Feb. 11, 2021. Early on, MSU's shooting percentage wasn't in question, as Dyamon Griggs had six straight points during an 8-0 run to give MSU an 8-4 lead with 4:39 left in the opening quarter. LCU responded over the final 3:22 of the quarter with a 7-2 run, with Reese Schumann tallying three of the points to take an 11-10 lead into the second quarter.
 
Leading 13-12 in the opening minute of the second quarter, LCU took over the game going on a 10-1 run, as MSU went five minutes without a field goal. Rachel Haase capped the run with LCU's first three-pointer of the game. Her long-distance shot came with 5:22 left in the half for a 23-13 lead. LCU maintained the lead to close the half, receiving a Reese Schumann bucket in the closing seconds for a 28-18 halftime lead. The Lady Chaps had the lead due to 14 points in the paint in the half, as LCU was 10-of-17 (58.8%) inside the arc (they were 1-of-9 from outside in the half).
 
MSU nearly went the entire third quarter without a field goal. Martie McCoy opened the second half with a three-pointer for LCU and it started a 7-0 run, which was also part of a 21-1 scoring surge for LCU. MSU had a sequence of 13 consecutive field goals missed, which ended on an Eternity Jackson jumper with 13 seconds left in the quarter. LCU outscored MSU 21-3 in the quarter and took a 49-21 lead into the final frame.
 
It was a twin killing for LCU in the fourth quarter, as twin sisters Tia Johnson and Deja Johnson had back-to-back layups to match LCU's largest lead of the game (53-23) 1:30 into the quarter. MSU did rally back on a 9-0 run (cut LCU's lead to 53-32), but it was ended on a Shaylee Stovall three-pointer.  LCU ended the game with an and-one three-point play converted by Taylor Thomas.
 
Stovall, who had all 18 of her points Saturday tallied in the second half, posted nine of her 11 points in the second half Thursday. Her 11 points joined Grace Foster (12 points) as the only two Lady Chaps in double figures offensively.
 
Griggs led MSU with a game-high 17 points. MSU was held to a 20.4% shooting performance from the field. Included in the mark was a 1-of-14 shooting from outside during the second quarter.