LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (3-2)
vs. ST. MARY'S (2-2)
Saturday, Nov. 23 – 3 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
Lubbock Christian will continue its weekend with the Saints on Saturday, hosting the Rattlers of St. Mary's in their second Lone Star Conference matchup of the season. The Chaps and Rattlers were two of just four LSC teams in league action Thursday night and came up with opposite results. LCU and Midwestern State were the two winning teams in the league's two matchups. This weekend's matchup is the second in a stretch of four-straight home games for the Chaparrals.
 
I GOT FIVE ON IT
For the second-straight game, Lubbock Christian had five players finish in double-figures. When they did so against Regis on Nov. 9, it was the first time since Feb. 17, 2024 against Eastern New Mexico. Four players were in double-figures in both games, including Najeeb Muhammad, Amondo Miller Jr., Sean Murphy and Jaylen Thompson. Ethan Duncan was in double-figures in the Regis win, while Ty Caswell reached the mark against the Hilltoppers.
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
The Chaps struggled shooting the three in the first half of Thursday's win, hitting on just five of their 17 attempts (29 percent), but they bounced back with a 6-of-10 showing in the second half to shoot 40.7 percent for the game. For the season, LCU is shooting 42.4 percent from behind the arc, which is second-best in the LSC and ranks No. 18 in the country. Only Angelo State is ahead of them at 45.8 percent, but with 20 fewer made threes. Duncan is the team leader (minimum 2.5 made per game), having hit on 45.5 percent of his long-range attempts.
 
BULLSEYE
Effective field goal percentage is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals only count for two points. Lubbock Christian ranks second in the LSC and No. 35 nationally in that category at 57.8 percent. Their overall field-goal percentage at 49.0, which ranks fourth in the LSC. Murphy, Ty Caswell, Thompson, Najeeb Muhammad and Anamekwe are all shooting 50 percent or better on at least 15 attempts this year.
 
PROTECT THE ROCK
The Chaps have the second-fewest turnovers per game in the LSC entering the weekend with just 9.6 per game. They are also second in the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.52 thanks to their 73 assists, 18 of which came on Thursday night (on 26 made baskets). Muhammad ranks third in the league individually with a ratio of 3.7. He has 22 total assists. LCU tallied 20 total assists in the season-opener against Missouri Southern. Last season, they only had 20 or more assists twice, both against NAIA programs.
 
NEWBIES
Through the first four games of the season, 53.23percent of LCU's 403 total points have been scored by players new to the squad. Miller Jr. leads the newcomers with 16.6 points per game and Murphy is also averaging double-figures at 10.0 points per game. The pair are tied for the team lead with 5.2 rebounds per game and fellow newcomer Thompson is close behind at 4.2. Those three newcomers are all transfers from other Division II universities, and the Chaps have also gotten significant minutes from Alex Anamekwe, who transferred from the University of Texas.
 
 
FAIR OR FOUL
Lubbock Christian has limited its four opponents so far this season at 71.8 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting. This has come while the Chaps commit just 14.0 fouls per game, which is the second-fewest in the conference and ranks 33^rd in the nation. Among LCU players who have played at least 15 minutes per game, Aaron Gonzales has committed the fewest fouls with three.
 
WHERE THE HEART IS
This will be the first time this season that the Chaps have played on their home court at the Rip Griffin Center. Officially dedicated on October 9, 2000, the Rip Griffin Center, seating capacity is 1,950 for sporting events. Lubbock Christian went 11-4 on its home floor a season ago, averaging 83.0 points on 53.1 percent shooting. Najeeb Muhammad, Ethan Duncan and Aaron Gonzales all averaged double-figures in home contests last year. In the Todd Duncan era, the Chaps have a 145-37 record (.795) on their home floor.
 
THE SERIES WITH THE RATTLERS
Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's met twice in the 1990s but most of their series history has come since 2014, when LCU moved into the NCAA and joined conference with StMU. The Chaps won that first meeting in 2014 and lead the all-time series 11-5 overall. Lubbock Christian is currently riding a seven-game winning streak against St. Mary's. StMU's last win was on Dec. 31, 2016.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS

• St. Mary's is 2-2 on the year and started Lone Star Conference play with a loss to Midwestern State
• The Chaps and Rattlers have two common opponents already, having both played Regis and Colorado School of Mines. They had opposite results in the Centennial State, as St. Mary's beat the Rangers and lost to the Orediggers
• Opponents are shooting 446.1 percent against St. Mary's, which is the second-highest opponent field goal percentage in the LSC
• Bubba Meyer is in just his second season as the head coach at St. Mary's. He is the son of Buddy Meyer, who coach the Rattlers from 1978 to 2005
• Damani Claxton leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game and is shooting 43.2 percent from the field