LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (18-7, 13-5) at ST. EDWARD'S (8-16, 5-13)
Feb. 22, 2024 • 5:30 PM
Austin, Texas • Recreation & Convocation Center (2,300)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
St. Edward's	Austin, Texas	Thur. Feb. 22	5:30 p.m.	Video	Stats

GAME NOTES (PDF)

MARCHING TO THE SAINTS
Lubbock Christian University completes their contests against East Division squads on the road this week, as the West Division co-leading Lady Chaparrals head to Austin, Texas Thursday to face St. Edward's (5:30 p.m.) and San Antonio, Texas Saturday (1 p.m.) to battle St. Mary's. LCU (18-7) enters the week fourth in the LSC (13-5) and tied atop the divisional standings with a 10-2 record. With four games remaining in the regular season, LCU can range to finish anywhere between second and eighth place in the LSC standings.
 
SENIOR DAY SUCCESS
Lubbock Christian University shot 54.5% percent from three-point range and received 24 points from Grace Foster on the way to a 66-45 victory against Eastern New Mexico in a Lone Star Conference West Division contest and Senior Day inside Rip Griffin Center Saturday. Foster led the Lady Chaps with 24 points and six rebounds. Audrey Robertson also tacked on three points, five assists and four steals and Maci Maddox helped out with seven points and five assists. Shaylee Stovall joined Robertson and Maddox as seniors recognized on the day (along with student-assistant Cara Paschall).
 
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 a LSC leading 78.1% of their attempts (325/416, ninth nationally) and averaging 13.0 points a game from the line (107^th 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 87-of-98 on the season (.888, leads the LSC and 11th nationally… surprisingly, she has not gone to the line in five consecutive games), which leads the squad (of qualifiers). Shaylee Stovall, who is 37-of-41 (90.2%), has a solid percentage at the line, but does not meet the statistical qualifying mark for leaders (NCAA minimum to qualify is 2.5 made free-throws per game).

> The Lady Chaps have two players in the top-20 in LSC scoring this season. Foster ranks fourth in the LSC with an average of 15.9 points per game and Audrey Robertson is ranking 14th in the LSC with 13.8 points per game. Robertson and Maci Maddox are in the top-10 in minutes played, with Maddox second in the conference (11th in the nation) with 37.1 minutes played per game (Robertson is ninth at 32.2). Maddox is fourth in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.0 (has a 2.3 ratio in LSC play).

> Foster is averaging 6.3 rebounds per game (14th in the LSC), but is eighth in the LSC averaging 5.9 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 47 on the season (13th in LSC) and ranks 12th in the LSC with a pace of 1.9 steals per game. She opened the season with at least one steal in the first seven games (has had at least one steal in 20 of 25 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 five games this season. As a team, LCU is second in the LSC and 42^nd nationally with a 43.2% shooting percentage from the field. LCU leads the LSC and is third nationally in three-point shooting, as they are 138-of-357 (38.7%) from long range. LCU is 13-of-22 (59%) in their last two games from three-point range.
 
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 Thursday 13-5 in LSC action, which has them in fourth place in the overall LSC standings. They are coming off a conference win (66-45 Saturday over ENMU), which put them 7-3 this season in LSC home games. They take a 6-2 conference road record into Austin. Grace Foster leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 15.4 points a game (seventh in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Audrey Robertson (15.1 points, eighth in LSC). Foster is 45-of-52 (86.5%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 75.1% (205/273) from the line in conference action. Reese Schumann leads LCU on the boards in LSC action, with a pace of 6.6 rebounds a contest.

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) and was ranked No.20 in week-nine's polls (last time LCU was ranked).

SO ARE SOME OTHERS
LCU fell to No.13 Texas Woman's (Jan. 25) UT Tyler (Jan. 27), placing them with a 0-4 record this season against nationally ranked programs (lost to No.17 Union in their season opener, No.12 Southern Nazarene on Nov. 25 prior to their losses last week to No.12 UT Tyler and No.13 TWU). 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 seven losses this season, four of the opponents have been nationally ranked and two opponents (Texas A&M International and Texas Permian Basin) were receiving votes.

ROAD REVELATIONS
The Lady Chaparrals, who went 8-4 on the road last season, posts a 7-3 road record this season. They seek to end a two-game losing skid. Audrey Robertson leads LCU in road scoring with a pace of 15.1 points per game. LCU has three players averaging double-figures in scoring on the road, as Grace Foster (12.9) and Macy Maddox (10.9) join Robertson. Foster leads LCU with 5.5 rebounds in road-play. LCU is shooting 81.2% (121/149) from the line on the road, compared to 63.3% (81/128) by the home team (Grace Foster is 28-of-30 from the line on the road). Maddox is showing balance on the road, as she has 1.9 steals and 3.9 assists per game to go along with her 10.9 points per game.

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
The Lady Chaps, who went 12-2 at home last season, are 9-4 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 284-54 record (84.0%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%). 
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT SEU
1 > The Hilltoppers completed the past season with a 14-17 record last season, which included a 10-12 conference record and a share of fourth place in the East Division (7-7 divisional record). SEU went 10-5 at home last season.
2 > St. Edward's enters the week with an 8-16 overall record and a 5-13 mark in LSC play. They ended a seven-game losing streak Saturday with a win at Oklahoma Christian. SEU is unable to finish better than eighth in the LSC standings this season and are still mathematically eligible to qualify for the conference tournament (top eight qualify for the LSC Championships).
3 > SEU is picked to claim seventh the LSC this season, as they were ranked No.7 (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They were picked fourth in the East Division.
4 > The 'Toppers rank second in the LSC in turnovers forced with a rate of 19.9 per game (42^nd nationally). They are second in the LSC in steals (10.5 per game), with Lauren Catherman averaging 2.4 per game on the season.
5 > Janiah Perkins ranks fourth in the LSC in free-throw attempts (132) and is fifth in free-throws made (94).

THE SERIES AGAINST SEU
LCU has won 16 of the last 18 meetings, including the last eight, and leads the all-time series at 17-6. Last season (Feb. 16, 2023), LCU defeated SEU 55-29 in Lubbock. LCU is making their first trip to Austin since Jan. 24, 2019 (won 66-57). The Lady Chaps have won their prior two stops in Austin and are 6-5 all-time in Austin against SEU.
 
RETURNING LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. SEU
Top-three LCU active career leaders against SEU:
 
Grace Foster 2gp, 11.0 points p/g, 7.5 reb. p/g
Audrey Robertson 2gp, 5.0 points p/g, 4/8 fg
Shaylee Stovall 2gp, 5.0 points p/g, 4/6 3fg

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. SEU
Feb. 16, 2023 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU: 55 – SEU: 29
Grace Foster's 10th double-double of the season was just a side note to Lubbock Christian University's Lone Star Conference victory over St. Edward's inside Rip Griffin Center, as the Lady Chaparrals defeated the Hilltoppers 55-29 for SEU's lowest point total since the 2007-2008 season.

St. Edward's was held to eight field goals Thursday, with the first and third quarters witnessing one field goal in each of the quarters. The 29-point offensive output was the Hilltoppers lowest since Angelo State held SEU to 26 points in San Angelo, Texas on Jan. 7, 2008.

It did not appear SEU's sluggish shooting performance was going to be the headline early, as Jayda Ruffus-Milner scored the opening Hilltoppers shot attempt of the game. The bucket tied the game at 2-2, as LCU also made their first shot attempt of the game, but then dry spells kicked in. The two teams were a combined 3-of-16 from the field in their opening eight shot attempts in the game. LCU made two of their first eight attempts, while SEU was 1-of-8 in the span. SEU would go on to miss their remaining 11 shot attempts of the first quarter. LCU went on an 8-2 run to send the game into the second quarter with a 10-4 lead.

A 5-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Grace Foster helped build the LCU lead to 15-6 early in the second quarter. LCU went a span of over six minutes without a field goal, but SEU was 1-of-6 from the field during the span and never cut LCU's lead to under a seven-point margin.

A zany situation late in the half nearly gave SEU new life. Sammie Dufek hit a jumper just as a foul was called against LCU to put Rufus-Milner to the free-throw line. The events took place with 1:04 remaining in the half and SEU turned it into a four-point possession and was able to cut LCU's lead to 22-17. The remaining minute was enough for LCU to regain the momentum, as a dialed-in Foster hit back-to-back three-pointers in a 44-second span to put LCU up 28-17 at the half.

The pair of three-pointers led to an 8-0 run spilling into the second half, as LCU took a 30-17 lead 44 seconds into the half. Ruffus-Milner scored a three-point play to end the run 1:07 into the second half, but the Hilltoppers would follow missing 15 consecutive shot attempts over a span of 13:47. LCU used an 11-1 run in the third quarter and led 41-23 through three quarters.

The Lady Chaps scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter. SEU's Lauren Catherman ended the Hilltoppers dry spell with a three-pointer midway through the final frame. LCU outscored SEU 21-3 during the span between field goals made by SEU. Audrey Spurgin gave LCU their largest lead with 2:13 left, as she hit a shot in the paint to put LCU up 55-26. SEU's final field goal attempt was a successful three-pointer by Matilda Soric to beat the final horn.

Foster led all players with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She was 5-of-7 from the field and three-of-four from three-point range. Thirteen different Lady Chaps stepped on the floor, with all players playing at least five minutes.

SEU was led by Jayda Ruffus-Milner, who finished with 11 points. The Hilltoppers did not struggle from the free-throw line, as they were 10-of-11 in the game from the line (90.9%). From the field, SEU shot 18.6% (8/43).