LUBBOCK, Texas (November 21, 2024) – Grace Foster recorded a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds, including 14 second-half points, to lead Lubbock Christian University to a 61-56 comeback victory over St. Edward's in their Lone Star Conference opener Thursday night inside Rip Griffin Center.
The Lady Chaps (6-0, 1-0) had three players score in double figures, led by Foster, who put together a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Audrey Robertson tacked on 17 points and six rebounds and Tia Johnson chipped in as well with 13 points off the bench.
How It Happened
LCU suffered their biggest deficit early, falling behind 16-7, as SEU used a 7-0 run to jump out to the large lead. Lubbock Christian countered with a on a 5-0 run with 2:44 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Foster, to narrow its deficit to 16-12. St. Edward's was 4-of-5 from three-point range in the opening quarter (Riley Moore was 2-of-2) and the Hilltoppers had the Lady Chaps down 18-12 entering the second quarter. LCU's 12 points in the quarter was split between Foster and Robertson, who each had six points.
Lubbock Christian trimmed the Hilltoppers lead to 30-26 before going on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a three from Robertson, to take a 32-30 lead with two minutes remaining in the half. The Hilltoppers closed the half with momentum, and despite Robertson pouring in nine points in the quarter, the Hilltoppers took a 35-32 lead heading into halftime. Robertson nailed four three-pointers (on five attempts) in the first half and led all players with 15 points in the first half.
Following halftime, Lubbock Christian had their biggest run of the game, as they posted a 9-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Robertson, to grab a 48-42 lead with 42 seconds to go in the third quarter. The run was part of a 12-1 scoring surge in which eight points were scored by Johnson. SEU was 2-of-12 (16.7%) from the field in the quarter and went nearly six minutes without a field goal in the frame (six consecutive misses from the field).
LCU held a 48-44 lead at the end of the third quarter and forced SEU into another scoring drought. Following Ramsey Robledo's field goal with 11 seconds left in the third, which snapped a six-minute stretch without a basket, the Hilltoppers missed 10 straight field goal attempts. During a 5:25 span without a field goal from SEU, the Lady Chaps managed to extend their lead to 51-45 despite struggling themselves, going just 1-of-8 from the field during that stretch.
Each team was limited to three field goals in the fourth quarter and each team had eight free-throw attempts, but Foster's 5-of-6 and Kennedy Chappell's 2-of-2 from the line in the frame guided LCU to the win. Foster scored nine of LCU's 13 points in the quarter. She finished with 14 points and Johnson finished with 10, as they combined for 14 points in the half. LCU held SEU to 21 points overall in the half.
Game Notes
» Grace Foster notched an impressive double-double for the Lady Chaps with 22 points and 11 rebounds. It was her third double-double of the season and 20th of her LCU career. She has posted at least 20 points in five of LCU's six games this season.
» The Lady Chaps held the Hilltoppers to only 32.7 percent shooting from the field. They were 11-of-42 (26.2%) from the field after the opening quarter.
» Grace Foster, Audrey Robertson, and Tia Johnson combined to account for 85 percent of the Lady Chaps points. Johnson's 13 points was a career high and was her first double-figure point performance, as she was 3-of-3 from the field and 7-of-9 from the line.
» The Lubbock Christian defense forced 13 turnovers while committing seven turnovers.
» LCU improved to 2-0 at home on the season.
» The game was LCU's 31st conference opener (sixth in the LSC) and they improved to 10-2 in conference openers since leaving the NAIA. LCU, now 5-1 in LSC openers, is 19-3 under head coach Steve Gomez in conference openers, and they have won 18 of their last 20 openers.
» The Lady Chaps have now won 18 of their last 20 meetings against SEU and they improve to 19-6 all-time against the Hilltoppers. LCU is 11-0 all-time against SEU in Lubbock.
Next Up
LCU transitions from their home opener to their conference opener and then to their West Division opener in three straight games, culminating Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup against Midwestern State at Rip Griffin Center.
