LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (19-7, 14-5) at ST. MARY'S (4-21, 4-15)
Feb. 24, 2024 • 1:00 PM
San Antonio, Texas • Bill Greehey Arena (3,800)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
St. Mary's	San Antonio, Texas	Sat. Feb. 24	1:00 p.m.	Video	Stats

COMPLETING THE EAST
Lubbock Christian University plays their final regular season game against an East Division opponent Saturday in San Antonio, as they tip at 1 p.m. against St. Mary's inside Bill Greehey Arena. LCU (19-7) enters the weekend fourth in the LSC (14-5) and tied atop the divisional standings with a 10-2 record. With three games remaining in the regular season (two in the West Division), LCU can range to finish anywhere between third and seventh place in the LSC standings.
 
UNCONVENTIONAL
LCU produced 19 rebounds Thursday night, which is their lowest mark on file (game-by-game records kept in-office since 2002-2003 season), but they still garnered a 66-58 victory over St. Edward's behind a 50.9% shooting mark from the field. The Lady Chaps had three players score in double figures, led by Audrey Robertson, who had 19 points and five assists. Maci Maddox tacked on 16 points and four steals and Grace Foster helped out with 12 points. The Lubbock Christian offense was very productive from downtown, making 42.1% (8/19) of their attempts. Foster, Maddox, Robertson and Taylor Thomas each drained two treys in the contest to co-lead the squad.
 
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 78.0% of their attempts (329/422, ninth nationally) and averaging 12.7 points a game from the line (109^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 89-of-100 on the season (.890, leads the LSC and 11th nationally), 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 fifth in the LSC with an average of 15.7 points per game and Audrey Robertson is ranking 14th in the LSC with 14.0 points per game. Robertson and Maci Maddox are in the top-10 in minutes played, with Maddox second in the conference (ninth in the nation) with 37.2 minutes played per game (Robertson is ninth at 32.4). Maddox is fifth in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.9 (has a 2.2 ratio in LSC play).

> Foster is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game (15th in the LSC), but is eighth in the LSC averaging 5.8 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 six games this season. As a team, LCU is second in the LSC and 38^th nationally with a 43.5% shooting percentage from the field. LCU leads the LSC and is third nationally in three-point shooting, as they are 146-of- 376 (38.8%) from long range. LCU is 21-of-41 (51.2%) in their last three 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 Saturday 14-5 in LSC action, which has them in fourth place in the overall LSC standings. They are coming off a conference win (66-58 Thursday at SEU), which put them 7-2 in conference road play. Audrey Robertson leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 15.3 points a game (sixth in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Grace Foster (15.2 points, seventh in LSC). Foster is 47-of-54 (87.0%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 74.9% (209/279) from the line in conference action. Reese Schumann leads LCU on the boards in LSC action, with a pace of 6.3 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 an 8-3 road record this season. Audrey Robertson leads LCU in road scoring with a pace of 15.5 points per game. LCU has three players averaging double-figures in scoring on the road, as Grace Foster (12.8) and Macy Maddox (11.4) join Robertson. Foster leads LCU with 5.5 rebounds in road-play. LCU is shooting 80.6% (125/155) from the line on the road, compared to 63.0% (87/138) by the home team (Grace Foster is 30-of-32 from the line on the road). Maddox is showing balance on the road, as she has 2.1 steals and 3.7 assists per game to go along with her 11.4 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 285-54 record (84.1%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%).  
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT StMU
1 > The Rattlers posted an 8-20 record last season, which included a 4-18 conference record and a 7-7 divisional record to finish in a share of seventh place in the East Division. Seven of StMU's eight wins occurred on their home floor.
2 > St. Mary's opened the week falling 71-62 at home to West Texas A&M Thursday. They enter Saturday with a 4-21 overall record and a 4-15 mark in LSC play. They have dropped their last five games.
3 > StMU is picked to finish 16th the LSC this season, as they were ranked No.16 (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They were picked eighth in the East Division.
4 > The Rattlers best offensive ranking is three-point field goal attempts, as they rank sixth in the LSC with an average of 20.2 attempts per game.
5 > Taylor Haggan is the Rattlers lone player averaging double figures offensively, as she averages 13.8 points per game. Haggan is eighth in the LSC in field goal percentage (46.6%).

THE SERIES AGAINST StMU
LCU leads the all-times series 21-3 over StMU. The Lady Chaps are 18-2 against the Rattlers since the 2013-14 season and are 5-2 all-time against StMU in San Antonio. LCU has won 12 straight meetings following their prior meeting (60-46 win in Lubbock on Feb. 18, 2023). The past seven consecutive meetings have all been in Lubbock and the two teams are meeting in San Antonio for the first time since Jan. 12, 2019.
 
RETURNING LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. StMU
Top-three LCU active career leaders against StMU:
 
Grace Foster 2gp, 9.5 points p/g, 8.0 reb. p/g
Martie McCoy 1gp, 8.0 points p/g, 4/8 fg
Maci Maddox 5gp, 4.6 points p/g, 10/18 fg

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. StMU
Feb. 18, 2023 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU: 60 – StMU: 46
A 22-2 run in the second half propelled Lubbock Christian University to a 60-46 Lone Star Conference victory over St. Mary's Saturday afternoon inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
St. Mary's was leading 33-30 three minutes into the second half, as Tonia Bilic had a field goal to provide the Rattlers their largest lead of the game. The lead did not last long, as LCU responded with the next four points for a 34-33 LCU lead with 6:10 left in the third quarter. Gabby Elliott regained the lead for StMU, but it would turn out to be the only Rattlers Field goal in the final 5:49 of the quarter and for a span of 8:50. Ignited by Martie McCoy's third field goal of the quarter, LCU closed the quarter on a 7-0 run (led 41-35 at quarter's close) and opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run. Audrey Robertson had five points during the 18-0 run, including a three-pointer for the first points of the fourth quarter, and with 7:14 remaining the run had LCU leading 52-35.
 
LCU hit a trio of three-pointers in the fourth quarter. The final one was by Carli Bostwick, which was followed by a pair of free-throws from Grace Foster to complete a 5-0 run and put LCU up 58-40 with 2:38 remaining for LCU's largest lead of the game.
 
The Lady Chaps surge in the fourth quarter was not aided by hot shooting, as LCU shot 42.9% (6/14) in the quarter. A 3-of-6 shooting performance from outside helped, but it was five offensive rebounds in the frame, which led to a 6-0 scoring advantage in second-chance-points.
 
LCU took advantage of opportunities in the second half, outscoring StMU 10-2 in points-off-turnovers despite each team having seven turnovers in the half. Lubbock Christian also outscored the Rattlers 9-2 from the free-throw line in the half (LCU was 9-of-11, 81.8%, from the line).
 
The final score would indicate the contest was one the Lady Chaps controlled, and so would the opening quarter of play, as LCU held the Rattlers to two field goals and received field goals from five different Lady Chaps to take a 14-4 lead into the second quarter. It was not the case, even with Shaylee Stovall putting LCU up 23-12 with a three-pointer 4:30 into the second quarter. StMU closed the second quarter going 6-of-9 from the field and had a 9-0 run in just over a two-minute span to help send the game into the half tied 26-26.
 
Outscoring LCU 22-12 in the second quarter, the Rattlers would take the lead (29-28) on a three-pointer from Teanna Huggins 90 seconds into the second half. It opened a 7-2 StMU run building up to Bilic's bucket to go up 33-30.
 
Foster led LCU with 11 points and 11 rebounds to convert her 11^th double-double performance of the season. She sniffed a triple-double posting a career-high seven assists in the contest as well. Maci Maddox and Robertson joined Foster in double figures in scoring, as they each contributed 10 points. LCU outscored the Rattlers 18-8 from the free-throw line, with starters (Foster, Maddox, Robertson, Stovall) combining to go 14-of-16 (87.5%) from the line. Maddox and McCoy each had eight points from the field to lead LCU in points from the field.
 
Gabby Elliott led StMU with a game-high 22 points. She was 8-of-14 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. The rest of the Rattlers were a combined 10-of-36 (27.8%) from the field. The loss pushed the Rattlers to 7-19 overall and 3-17 in the LSC.