LUBBOCK, Texas – The Lubbock Christian University Men's Basketball team welcomes fourth ranked West Texas A&M to town Thursday night as they renew the Rivalry on the Range.
 
Lubbock Christian (20-8, 15-5) vs No. 4 West Texas A&M (25-2, 19-1)
Thursday February 29, 2024 – 7:30 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center – Lubbock, Texas

Game Promotions:

• Senior Night - Prior to tip the Chaps will honor their lone senior, Kurt Wegscheider. Entering Thursday, Kurt has appeared in 56 games over his two seasons with the Chaps, starting in 36 of those contests. He has been a consistent paint presence for LCU racking up 443 points and 265 rebounds. Kurt has also been a force on the defensive end collecting 36 steals and 18 blocks in his career. Kurt will finish his degree in Business Administration this fall and plans to begin a professional basketball career after graduation.
• Johnsonville Tailgate – LCU's Department of University Advancement is hosting another Johnsonville Tailgate prior to the Women's game. Free food and drinks will be available at the entrance of the Rip Griffin Center.
• Rally at the Rip – The annual "Rally at the Rip" will also take place Thursday night. Free t-shirts and rally towels will be given to the first 50 LCU students. Fans are encouraged to wear blue as we "blue out" the Rip.

The Series – Rivalry on the Range
Thursday will be the 23^rd matchup all-time between LCU and WTAMU. The Buffaloes hold a slight advantage in the rivalry, holding a 14-8 record over the Chaps. WTAMU beat LCU three times last season, sweeping the regular season series and defeating the Chaps in the second round of the LSC tournament. The Chaps are 4-5 all-time at home against the Buffs.  

LCU Versus Nationally Ranked Opponents
Since transitioning to NCAA Division II in 2014-15 LCU is 14-24 against nationally ranked opponents. The Chaps have faced four ranked teams this season, going 2-2 in those games. LCU has faced a ranked WTAMU team 11 times in its history and have won four of those contests.
 
About West Texas A&M

• The Buffaloes are in their 10^th season with Head Coach Tom Brown at the helm.
• WTAMU comes into Thursday with a 25-2 record and are ranked fourth in the latest NABC National Poll.
• The Buffs are 19-1 in LSC play and have already clinched the Lone Star regular season title.
• WTAMU is lead by Larry Wise who averages 19.7 points and 5.4 rebounds a night. Wise has been named LSC Player of the Week four times this season (three offensive and one defensive).
• The Buffs score 85.8 points per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from behind the arc.

Last Time Out – LCU
Tiras Morton collected 24 points and Ethan Duncan added 23 as LCU took down St. Mary's 86-70 on the road Saturday.

Morton and Duncan's stellar scoring performances led the Chaparrals (20-8, 15-5) in the contest. Morton tacked on four steals and three blocks and Duncan added six rebounds and four assists. Najeeb Muhammad also helped out with 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

LCU shared the ball well in Saturday's game, racking up 16 assists on 30 made field goals. Duncan's four assists led the Chaps and Ty Caswell also added three assists of his own.

The Chaps did a great job disrupting St. Mary's shots in the contest, coming away with seven blocks. Morton's three rejections led the way individually for the Chaps.

Last Time Out – WTAMU
WTAMU suffered their first loss in over three months, falling short against the Hilltoppers of St. Edward's, 88-87. After the completion of Saturday's contests, the Buffs clinched the Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championship as Dallas Baptist lost its game.

Four Buffs reached double-digit scoring on Saturday afternoon highlighted by a game-high 23 from Ryland Holt. Kieran Elliott and Larry Wise scored 16 each followed by Ahamed Mohammed with 13 points. Holt recorded a double-double as the senior hauled in 11 rebounds while Wise dished out four assists.

As the clock went under 40 seconds to play, a pair of Wise free throws put WT up one. On the next possession, the Hilltoppers missed a jumper, but St. Edward's grabbed the rebound and put in the go-ahead bucket. Needing a bucket to retake the lead, the Buffs couldn't convert. After WT fouled to keep the game close, the Hilltoppers missed the front end of the one-and-one, giving the Buffs life for a win. With time winding down, a last-second heave went wide as the Buffs saw their 22-game winning streak end.

A Win Would

• Give the Chaps a 21-8 overall record and 16-5 in the Lone Star Conference.
• Be the third win against a ranked opponent this season for LCU.
• Be the 242^nd win of the Coach Duncan era.

 
Stay Social
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Chaps by following the team on Twitter at LCU_ChapsMBball ,  on Instagram at LCU_Chap_Basketball and on Facebook at LCU Men's Basketball .