CANYON, Texas (November 2, 2024) -- Grace Foster poured in 18 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, sparking Lubbock Christian University to a 14-0 opening run as the Lady Chaparrals kicked off their 2024-25 season with a commanding 64-41 victory over Kutztown (PA) at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic inside First United Bank Center Saturday.
Foster led the Lady Chaps (1-0) with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals. Audrey Robertson tacked on nine points, six rebounds and two steals and Kennedy Chappell chipped in as well with eight points and nine rebounds.
Lubbock Christian pulled down 38 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Kutztown's 28, led by nine boards from Audrey Spurgin. Maci Maddox led the way individually for the Lady Chaps with three steals, as LCU had 10 as a team.
How It Happened
The game was scoreless for the opening 3:22 before Foster drilled a three-pointer to start the scoring. Foster's trey helped LCU open a 14-0 lead. The Golden Bears did not score until 37 seconds remained in the first quarter. LCU led 14-2 at quarter's close, with Foster responsible for eight of LCU's 14 points.
Lubbock Christian kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 7:26 mark in the second period to increase its lead to 19-4. Foster was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the second quarter and had 10 points in the frame to help LCU take a 31-17 lead into the break. Foster was 11-of-11 from the line in the half and had 18 points.
KU trimmed LCU's lead to 11 (38-27) with 3:39 remaining in the quarter, but the Lady Chaps responded by closing the quarter with an 8-0 run capped by a Kenedy Chappell field goal with two seconds to go in the third quarter for a 46-27 lead. Maddox (2-of-3, 5 points) and Robertson (2-of-2, 6 points) combined to go 4-of-5 from the field with 11 points in the quarter. Leading 51-38 with 3:39 remaining, LCU grabbed insurance with an 8-0 run to grow the lead to 59-38 with 1:43 to go in the contest. Lubbock Christian got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 12 of its 18 total points (11 different Lady Chaps appeared on the floor in the quarter).
Game Notes
» Lubbock Christian found success from three-point land, knocking down eight treys in the game. LCU made at least eight three-pointers in eight games last season
» The Lady Chaps held the Golden Bears to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field. KU (0-2) was led by Olivia Smelas, who led them in scoring (10 points) and rebounds (7).
» The Lady Chaps never trailed in the game. LCU had seven wins last season in which they led throughout.
» Lubbock Christian had a 38-28 edge on the boards in the win. The +10 margin in rebounded is their largest margin since posting a +16 rebound margin (46-30) on Feb. 11, 2023 against Eastern New Mexico.
» Grace Foster led the Lady Chaps with a game-high 21 points. She was 4-of-8 from the field and 12-of-13 from the free-throw line. The 12 free-throws made was one shy of matching a career high and the 13 attempts matched a career high (her third game of her career with 13 free-throw attempts). The 12 free-throws made ties as the fifth-most in a game by a Lady Chaps member since leaving the NAIA (2012-13) and the 13 attempts tied as the eighth-most in the same time frame.
» Lubbock Christian got a game-high nine rebounds from both Audrey Spurgin and Kennedy Chappell. The mark was a career-high for Spurgin and matched a career high for Chappell.
» LCU improved to 2-0 all-time against Kutztown and both meetings have been neutral site contests.
» The Lady Chaps are now 30-16 all-time in season openers and 14-8 under head coach Steve Gomez in openers. In addition, LCU improved to 10-8 over their last 18 season openers and they win their first season opener since defeating Montevalo (69-55) on Nov.5, 2021 in Billings, Mont., which was Foster's first career game with LCU.
Next Up
LCU remains in Canyon Sunday and faces Black Hills State at 11 a.m. inside First United Bank Center. Both teams will be 1-0, as BHSU defeated event host West Texas A&M Friday.
