NO. 7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (11-2, 3-1 LSC)
vs. NO. 12 WEST LIBERTY (8-1, 3-0 MEC)
Sunday, December 21 – 1:30 a.m. PT
South Point Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
 
TIPOFF
Lubbock Christian University won its second-straight game on Friday and will now close out the fall semester on Sunday, taking on No. 12 West Liberty on 1:30 p.m. PT in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic. LCU's win on Saturday came against Dominican, 85-65, and West Liberty also won their first game at the Las Vegas tournament, taking down Angelo State 101- 79. It is the second-straight game and the fifth time this season the Hilltoppers have reached triple-digits. After Sunday's game, the Chaps will take a break for the holidays before resuming play Jan. 2 at St. Edward's.
 
FIVE THINGS TO FOCUS ON
1 | Lubbock Christian was a force on the glass in Saturday's win grabbing 52 rebounds to just 33 for the Chargers. The plus-19 rebound advantage is LCU's largest of the season. Twenty-one of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, which is the most they have had in a single-game in the NCAA era (since 2013-14). They previously had 20 earlier this season against Colorado Mesa.
2 | A large portion of Saturday's rebounding effort came from two players – Antonio Pusateri and Amondo Miller Jr. – who both had career-highs. Pusateri's 21 rebounds were the most by an LCU player since Feb. 7, 2013, when Eli Baker also had 21 against St. Gregory's. It is the most by an LSC player this year and the second-most in all of Division II. Miller Jr. added in 16, as both players finished with double-doubles – the seventh for Pusateri and the fourth for Miller Jr.
3 | LCU was just 5-of-18 on three-pointers Saturday, including 0-5 in the second half. Their .278 three-point shooting percentage is the third-worst this season. They also did not make a three-pointer in the entire second half of the Dec. 3 win against UT Permian Basin, when they shot 23.1 percent (3-13).
4 | Miller Jr. scored 29 points against the Chargers, his second-highest point total of the season and his eighth game with at least 20 points. The Colorado native is averaging 22.0 points per game, which leads the Lone Star Conference.
5 | This is Lubbock Christian's fourth time competing in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic, and they are now 6-1 all-time. The one loss came last season against Montana State-Billings.
 
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
- WLU has only one loss so far this season, falling 94-88 to Virginia Union on Nov. 18
- Head coach Michael Lamberti, a former Hilltopper himself, is in his first season leading his alma mater
- West Liberty has one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 95.9 points per game, which ranks No. 5 in Division II
- The offense is a group effort, with only three players averaging double-figures, led by Jamie Muldowney's 15.1 points per game
- The Hilltoppers force an average of 23.6 turnovers per game, which is the third-best mark in the nation
 
THE SERIES WITH THE HILLTOPPERS
Lubbock Christian and West Liberty have met only once previously, in this very tournament in 2022, when the Chaps upset the No. 4 Hilltoppers 91-83. Najeeb Muhammad played all 40 minutes for LCU, leading the team with 21 points as the Chaps shot 52.8 percent as a team.