LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-6, 11-4) at TEXAS PERMIAN BASIN (18-3, 13-2)
Feb. 10, 2024 • 1:00 PM
Odessa, Texas • Falcon Dome (1,000)
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
UTPB	Odessa, Texas	Fri. Feb. 10	1:00 p.m.	Video	Stats

WEST IS UP FOR GRABS
Lubbock Christian University and Texas Permian Basin put West Division Leading 8-1 records against each other, as the division co-leaders square off Saturday in a Lone Star Conference contest inside Falcon Dome in Odessa, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
SHOOTING WOES IN SAN ANGELO
Lubbock Christian had rallied from a double-figure deficit to cut their deficit to 34-30 with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, but ASU outscored LCU 27-12 over the remaining 15:12 of regulation to claim a 61-42 win over the Lady Chaps Thursday night in San Angelo, Texas. The loss was LCU's first divisional loss and it ended their six-game road win streak. The last time LCU played in Junell Center (Mar. 13, 2023 overtime loss to UT Tyler in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional), LCU shot their worst shooting percentage from the field in their NCAA era (27.9%), and Thursday, LCU's shooting performance of 26.2% was their lowest shooting mark from the field in any game during LCU's NCAA era. The 16-of-61 shooting performance from the field was their lowest since shooting 20.9% against Metropolitan State on Nov. 5, 2011. Audrey Robertson was LCU's lone player in double figures in scoring, as she finished with 13 points.
 
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 (295/378, ninth nationally) and averaging 13.4 points a game from the line (88^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 12th 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 this season. Foster ranks third in the LSC with an average of 16.7 points per game and Audrey Robertson is ranking 13th in the LSC with 14.0 points per game. Foster and Maci Maddox are in the top-10 in minutes played, with Maddox second in the conference (10th in the nation) with 37.3 minutes played per game (Foster is seventh in LSC at 32.7). Maddox is second in the LSC with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.1 (has a 2.5 ratio in LSC play and has 47 assists with 12 turnovers over the prior nine games).

> Foster is averaging 6.6 rebounds per game (ninth in the LSC), but is fourth in the LSC averaging 6.3 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 43 on the season (12th in LSC) and ranks 12^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 18 of 22 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 44^th nationally with a 43.3% shooting percentage from the field. LCU leads the LSC and is third nationally in three-point shooting, as they are 121-of-310 (39.0%) from long range.  The Lady Chaps have shot at least 40% from outside in eight of their last 10 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 Saturday 11-4 in LSC action, which has them tied for fifth place in the overall LSC standings. They are coming off a conference loss (51-42 loss Thursday at Angelo State), which put them 6-1 this season in LSC road games. Grace Foster leads LCU in LSC play with an average of 16.6 points a game (fourth in the LSC). She is joined in a double-figure scoring pace by Audrey Robertson (15.7 points, fourth in LSC). Foster, who leads LCU with a pace of 6.6 rebounds per game, is 45-of-52 (86.5%) from the free-throw line and spearheads a squad that is shooting 74.5% (175/235) 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 six losses this season, four of the opponents have been nationally ranked and one opponent (Texas A&M International) was receiving votes.

ROAD REVELATIONS
The Lady Chaparrals, who went 8-4 on the road last season, posts a 7-2 road record this season. They had a six-game road win streak snapped Thursday. Audrey Robertson leads LCU in road scoring with a pace of 14.6 points per game. LCU has three players averaging double-figures in scoring on the road, as Grace Foster (14.3) and Macy Maddox (10.9) join Robertson. Foster leads LCU with 5.9 rebounds in road-play. LCU is shooting 80.5% (103/128) from the line on the road, compared to 62.5% (65/104) 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 1.8 steals and 4.2 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 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 282-53 record (84.2%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 24-3 all-time (88.9%). 
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT UTPB
1 > The Falcons produced a 13-15 record last season, which included a 10-12 conference record and a seventh-place finish in the West Division (4-10 divisional record).
2 > UTPB has turned things around this season, as they are 18-3 overall and they have a 13-2 mark in LSC play. The Falcons have won their last eight games (have not lost since losing to Lubbock on Jan. 11) and they opened this week defeating West Texas A&M Thursday 70-65 behind 17 points from Makala Bingley to help move UTPB to a 9-0 home record.
3 > UT Permian Basin is picked to 10th in the LSC this season, as they took the No.10 spot (of 16) in the conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll. They are fourth among West Division squads.
4 > UTPB has been launching shots from outside this season, ranking ninth nationally with a LSC-leading pace of 8.6 three-pointers per game. Andreea Mancha leads the LSC (34^th nationally) with 2.5 three-pointers per game.  
5 > Alexus Quaadman is one of the top rebounders in the LSC, as she averages 10.1 per game (second in the LSC and 21^st nationally). She ranks 32^nd nationally with an average of 3.6 offensive rebounds per game. Quaadman ranks 35^th nationally with eight double-double performances on the season.

THE SERIES AGAINST UTPB
LCU is 29-0 all-time against the Falcons. They improved their mark to 17-0 against UTPB in Lubbock and 13-0 all-time against the Falcons all-time as conference opponents (1-0 against the Falcons in conference postseason play) with a 74-67 overtime win on Jan. 11 earlier this season. The prior meeting in Odessa was last season (Jan. 5, 2023), with LCU claiming an 73-60 win. Saturday will mark the fifth game, in an eight-game span, to be played in Odessa, where LCU is 11-0 all-time against UTPB. The two programs have been conference foes in both the Heartland and Lone Star Conference.
 
RETURNING LADY CHAP LEADERS VS. UTPB
Top-three LCU returning career leaders against UTPB:
 
Grace Foster 4gp, 18.0 points p/g, 5.3 reb. p/g, 8/15 3-fg
Audrey Robertson 6gp, 10.3 points p/g, 23/42 fg, 8/17 3-fg
Taylor Thomas 2gp, 7.5 points p/g, 2.0 assists p/g

PREVIOUS RECAP VS. UTPB
Jan. 11, 2024 (Lubbock, Texas) – LCU: 74 – UTPB: 67 (OT)
Grace Foster knocked down a game-tying three-pointer with 19-seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime, and the bucket was part of her 23 points tallied after the third quarter and part of 36-point performance to match a Rip Griffin Center scoring mark and it led the Lady Chaps to a 74-67 overtime win over Texas Permian Basin.
 
The Lady Chaps (11-3, 6-1) had three players score in double figures, led by Foster, who had 36 points and four steals (led LCU in steals). Audrey Robertson tacked on 13 points and Maci Maddox chipped in as well with a double-double with 10 points and 12 assists.
 
Lubbock Christian utilized great ball movement in Thursday's game, piling up 16 assists on 26 made field goals. Maddox's career-high 12 assists were the most for the Lady Chaps.
 
UTPB, who was entering the game matching their best start (through 12 games) in program history, was led by Kamryn Lemon's 21 points and a double-double from Alexus Qaadman (18 points, 12 rebounds). The Falcons fell to 10-3 overall, 5-2 in the LSC and 2-1 in West Division play.