LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-5, 11-3) at ANGELO STATE (7-13, 5-9)
Feb. 7, 2024 • 5:30 PM
San Angelo, Texas • Junell Center (6,500)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Angelo St.	San Angelo, Texas	Thur. Feb. 8	5:30 p.m.	Video	Stats

GAME NOTES (PDF)

BUSINESS TRIP
Lubbock Christian University takes an 8-0 mark in Lone Star Conference West Division play on the road for an important week of play, as LCU heads to San Angelo, Texas Thursday to face Angelo State (5:30 p.m.) and Odessa, Texas Saturday to battle Texas Permian Basin (1 p.m.). LCU (8-0), UTPB (7-1) and ASU (5-3) are the top three teams in the West Division standings.
 
ANOTHER SECOND HALF RALLY
The Lady Chaparrals rallied from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter and the received an 18-rebound performance from Reese Schumann, as they claimed a 56-50 Lone Star Conference win over Cameron Saturday at Rip Griffin Center. LCU, who had tied the game up heading into the fourth quarter, moved to 4-3 when trailing at the half and 3-0 when tied heading into the fourth quarter. LCU moved to 4-3 when trailing at the half and 3-0 when tied heading into the fourth quarter. Audrey Robertson led the Lady Chaps with 20 points. Coming off a 23-point outing Thursday night, Robertson posted her fifth 20-point performance (or more) of the season.
 
AWARD WINNING
The Lone Star Conference announced their weekly honors and Lubbock Christian University's Reese Schumann was recognized as the conference's Defensive Player of the Week. Forward Schumann was a force in the paint for Lubbock Christian, who enjoyed a 2-0 week with home wins over Midwestern State and Cameron to remain perfect (8-0) in West Division play. Schumann, who averaged 12.5 rebounds over the two games, recorded a seven-rebound performance against MSU. The junior followed with a career-high 18 boards against Cameron, the third time a Lady Chap has tallied 18 rebounds since 2006. Schumann averaged 7.5 points and totaled four blocked shots and two assists for the week.
 
Schumann, a native of Houston, Texas, claimed her first LSC weekly honor of the season and the second of her career (claimed her first on Jan. 16, 2022). She claims the Lady Chaps fifth weekly accolade this season and the program's second "defensive" honor, as Maci Maddox claimed a defensive honor Nov. 14. Grace Foster has three offensive honors.
 
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 77.6% of their attempts (287/370, 14^th nationally) and averaging 13.7 points a game from the line (75^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, ranks second in the LSC and 15th nationally), which leads the squad (of qualifiers). Shaylee Stovall, who is 33-of-36 (91.7%), 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 so far this season. Foster ranks third in the LSC with an average of 17.4 points per game and Audrey Robertson is ranking 12th in the LSC with 14.1 points per game. Foster and Maci Maddox are in the top-5 in minutes played, with Maddox leading the conference (eighth in the nation) with 37.5 minutes played per game (Foster is sixth in LSC at 33.3). Maddox is third in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.4 (has a 2.7 ratio in LSC play and has 45 assists with nine turnovers over the prior eight games).

> Foster is averaging 6.8 rebounds per game (ninth in the LSC), but is fourth in the LSC averaging 6.5 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 41 on the season (12th in LSC) and ranks 13^th  in the LSC with a pace of 1.95 steals per game. She opened the season with at least one steal in the first seven games (has had at least one steal in 17 of 21 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 four games this season. As a team, LCU is second in the LSC and 29^th nationally with a 44.2% shooting percentage from the field. LCU leads the LSC and is second nationally in three-point shooting, as they are 119-of-300 (39.7%) from long range.  The Lady Chaps have shot at least 40% from outside in eight of their last nine games played.
 
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 11-3 in LSC action. They are coming off a conference win (56-50 win Saturday over Cameron), which put them 5-3 this season in LSC home games. This week they return to the road, where they are 6-0 in conference road play. Grace Foster leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 17.7 points a game (third in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Audrey Robertson (15.9 points, sixth in LSC). Foster, who leads LCU with a pace of 7.1 rebounds per game, is 45-of-52 (86.5%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 73.6% (167/227) from the line in conference action.

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 five losses this season, four of the opponents have been nationally ranked and the other opponent was receiving votes.

ROAD REVELATIONS
The Lady Chaparrals, who went 8-4 on the road last season, is off to a 7-1 road record this season. They have won their last six road games. Grace Foster leads LCU in road scoring with a pace of 15.6 points per game. LCU has three players averaging double-figures in scoring on the road, as Audrey Robertson (14.8) and Macy Maddox (11.4) join Foster, who also leads LCU with 6.5 rebounds in road-play. LCU is shooting 79.2% (95/120) from the line on the road, compared to 62.9% (61/97) 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 2.0 steals and 4.0 assists per game to go along with her 11.1 points per game.

SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
The Lady Chaps, who went 12-2 at home last season, are 8-4 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 282-52 record (84.4%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%). 
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT ASU
1 > The Belles completed the past season with a 26-7 record last season, which included a 26-7 conference record and a share of first place in the West Division (11-3 divisional record). ASU hosted the South Central Regional, where they would fall in the semifinals to UT Tyler.
2 > Angelo State heads into Thursday following a 60-55 win at Western New Mexico. ASU is 16-7 on the season and 10-4 in the LSC.
3 > ASU is picked to win the LSC this season, as they claimed the No.1 spot (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They received 15 of the 54 first place votes.
4 > The Belles rank 15^th nationally in assists per game with a pace of 17.1 per game (second in LSC). Sawyer Lloyd leads the LSC with 124 assists (sixth nationally) and is second with 5.4 per game, which is 18^th nationally. Lloyd also leads the LSC in assist/turnover ratio (2.5), ranking 21^st nationally.
5 > Keniah Williams leads ASU in blocks (42), with a total that leads the LSC and is 19^th nationally. Williams is 19^th nationally with a LSC leading 1.8 blocks per game.

THE SERIES AGAINST ASU
LCU leads the series with a 17-6 all-time mark. ASU swept the season series last season, which included a 60-57 ASU win in their previous meeting (Feb. 2, 2023 in Lubbock), and had won the last three regular season meetings until LCU's 67-54 win Jan. 13 in Lubbock. The two teams have met 15 times since 2012, but had not met since Nov. 30, 2001 prior to that. LCU is 6-3 all-time against ASU in San Angelo, dropping the prior two meetings.
 
RETURNING LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. ASU
Top-three LCU returning career-leaders against ASU:
Grace Foster 5gp, 11.6 points p/g, 8.2 reb. p/g
Audrey Robertson 7gp, 9.1 points p/g, 6/15 3-fg, 11/12 ft
Maci Maddox 5gp, 5.2 points p/g, 2.6 assists p/g
 
PREVIOUS RECAP VS. ASU
Jan. 13, 2024 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU: 67 – ASU: 54
Audrey Robertson and Grace Foster each scored 21 points and the Lubbock Christian University Lady Chaparrals beat the Angelo State Rambelles 67-54 inside Rip Griffin Center.
 
The Lady Chaps (12-3, 7-1) claimed their fifth consecutive win behind the play of Robertson, who had 21 points, six rebounds and two steals and Foster, who added a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Maci Maddox added eight points, six assists and four steals.
 
Lubbock Christian out-rebounded Angelo State 45-40 in Saturday's game, co-led by 10 boards from Reese Schumann. The Lady Chaps also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and scored a season-high 11 second chance points (outscored ASU 11-10 in the category).
 
Lubbock Christian did a great job disrupting Angelo State shots in the contest, coming away with a season-high five blocks. Schumann and Foster led the way individually for the Lady Chaps with two rejections. She also led LCU with a +17 plus/minus.
 
Angelo State (12-5, 6-2) had their six-game win streak snapped. Madeline Stephens led ASU in scoring with 16 points. They also received a double-double from Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant (14 rebounds, 10 points).