LUBBOCK, Texas (October 27, 2024) – The Lubbock Christian University women's basketball season gets underway this week, as they head to Houston, Texas Tuesday for an exhibition game against Rice in preparation for Saturday's 11 a.m. season-opener against Kutztown at the D2CCA Women's Basketball Tip-Off Classic in Canyon, Texas (hosted by West Texas A&M at First United Bank Center).    
 
LCU is competing in a D2CCA-sanctioned tournament for the fourth consecutive season. The Lady Chaps hosted last season's event, with the 2022-23 tournament held in Kansas City, Mo. (hosted by the MIAA), and the previous year's event hosted by MSU Billings in Billings, Mont. In addition to Kutztown, whom LCU last faced in San Antonio during a Thanksgiving tournament in the 2018-19 season, the Lady Chaps will take on Black Hills State on Nov. 3 to conclude the opening weekend tournament.
 
The D2CCA event is one of three tournaments the Lady Chaps will compete in this season. UT Tyler will host the rotating RMAC/Lone Star Conference Tip-Off Classic, branded as the South Central Region Challenge, where LCU will face Colorado State Pueblo (Nov. 8) and Colorado Christian (Nov. 9) in Tyler, Texas. Before the Christmas break, LCU will travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the Holiday Hoops Classic, taking on Embry-Riddle (Fla.) on Dec. 19 and Montana State Billings on Dec. 20 at South Point Arena, a tournament they also participated in during the 2022-23 season.
 
For the fourth time since the 2012-13 season (third time non COVID related) and third consecutive season, LCU will not participate in a Thanksgiving tournament, but they will host a pair of non-conference contests in November. Colo. Colorado Springs (UCCS) will serve as LCU's home opener Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center. They will also host Southwestern Oklahoma State Nov. 26 (4 p.m.), as they meet for a fifth time since LCU's 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship Game win in double-OT over the Lady Bulldogs.
 
The non-conference games in November are part of a busy month, which also includes Lone Star Conference play getting underway Nov. 21 at home hosting St. Edward's. LCU has 22 LSC games on the docket, with 11 home and 11 road contests. Divisional standings, which returned two seasons ago, remain in effect in the LSC this season, with two eight-team divisions. LCU will play every divisional opponent home-and-home (14 games) and will play the other division's teams once (8 games). The top eight women's teams will qualify for the LSC Championship to be played using the following schedule for 2024 in Frisco, Texas: Divisional winners will automatically receive the No.1 and No.2 seeds with seeding based on the 22 conference game conference standings.
  
LCU has 30 regular season games on the schedule (13 at home) and hope to clinch a spot into the NCAA Division II postseason, which is scheduled to begin Mar. 14 with the South Central Region Tournament. The region champions advance to the Elite Eight Tournament, which is set for Mar.24-28 in Pittsburgh, Pa. (in the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse).

Gearing up for regular season play, LCU heads to Rice Tuesday to play an NCAA Division I opponent in an exhibition game for the first time since facing Mississippi State Nov.4, 2019. LCU is 4-5 all-time in exhibition games against NCAA Division I programs, with their last win claimed Oct. 28, 2018 over SMU (62-51 at Moody Coliseum). The Lady Chaps played three exhibition matches over the summer in Brazil, as part of their NCAA Foreign Tour and their match with Rice completes their preseason play.
 
The Lady Chaps are preseason picked No.2 in the LSC. LCU was preseason picked to finish fourth last season and they ended up finishing atop the West Division (12-2 in the West Division) and claimed a NCAA South Central Regional appearance with a 22-10 overall record (went 17-6 in conference).
 
All regular season scheduled games can be watched via live streaming on FloSports. FloSports has recently partnered with the Lone Star Conference to offer a subscription-based service that provides live video coverage. A subscription to FloSports gives you access to all content on their platform. For more details, visit www.lcuchaps.com/live.

LCU is once again partnered with HomeTown Tickets this season, to handle online advance purchase tickets, which can be accessed at www.lcuchaps.com/tickets. Information, in regards to LCU Chap Club (http://www.lcuchaps.com/chapclub) or travel inquiries for LCU's in-season tournaments, can be directed to LCU director of athletic engagement, Kim Wheeler, at kim.wheeler@lcu.edu.