LAS VEGAS (December 21, 2025) - Lubbock Christian University senior forward Alex Anamekwe's putback at the buzzer led the No. 7 Chaparrals to an 88-87 win against  No. 12 West Liberty on Sunday at the South Point Arena in the Holiday Hoops Classic. 

LCU led by 12 points at halftime, but the Hilltoppers mounted a second-half comeback, outscoring their opponents 53-42. The game saw nine ties and six lead changes, with LCU securing the win as time expired, despite committing 21 turnovers.

Lubbock Christian heads into the Christmas break with a 12-2 overall record and is 3-1 in Lone Star Conference play. West Liberty falls to 8-2 overall. 

The Chaparrals opened the with the game's first six points, getting on the board with a jumper from Amondo Miller Jr. They capitalized on strong shooting, going 19-for-30 from the field (.633), and never trailed in the opening period. 

A dunk from Anamekwe and a three-point play from Kendall Dow with just over eight minutes to go in the half stretched the lead to double-digits for the first time. The lead never got wider than 12, and WLU actually cut it down to just six at the 4:23 mark, the Chaps ended the half on a 7-2 run, including a three-pointer from Leo Nordberg, to lead 46–34 at the end of the half. 

Antonio Pusateri contributed significantly in the opening period, scoring from both the field and the free-throw line, while the team dominated the boards with a 22-11 rebounding advantage.

The Hilltoppers flipped the script on the Chaps in the second half, outshooting them 50 percent to 44.1. WLU's defense also turned it up a notch, with 12 forced turnovers. LCU's lead dropped down to single-digits just two minutes in, and they had taken a lead by the under-12 media timeout thanks to an 8-0 run. 

With the teams trading punches the rest of the way, neither team got up by more than four. That lead was LCU's with 6:05 remaining, but the Hilltoppers had pulled back even at 77-all just two minutes later. 

In a tense finish, Kendall Dow's layup tied the game at 85 at the 1:06 mark, and Pusateri's free throws at 0:29 pushed LCU to an 86-85 advantage. WLU's Hayden Abdullah briefly regained the lead with a tip-in with just seven seconds left, but Anamekwe's buzzer-beating tip-in secured an 88-87 victory for the Chaparrals as the horn sounded.

Miller Jr. led the team with 27 points while also collecting 10 rebounds, demonstrating a strong presence on the court. Pusateri recorded 20 points and led with 18 rebounds, adding two blocks to his performance. Dow contributed 15 points, converting 6 of 10 field goals. Mercandino added 10 points and made one steal in his effort.

GAME NOTES:
- Pusateri's 18 boards would be the most in a single-game by a Lone Star Conference player this season, if he himself had not grabbed 21 rebounds in yesterday's contest.
- Both Miller Jr. and Pusateri finished with double-doubles - the fifth of the season for the former and eighth for the latter.
- The Chaps finished the game shooting 53.1 percent from the field. It is their eighth game this season shooting better than 50 percent, but their first since Dec. 3 against UT Permian Basin.
- The Chaps out-rebounded the Hilltoppers 48-30 in the game, marking the fifth time this season with a rebound margin of double-digits.
- Reagan Fiedler grabbed a career-high three rebounds in his 15 minutes off the bench and also added in five points.

NEXT UP:
This was the final game of the 2025 calendar year, as the Chaps will now go on Christmas break. LCU will return to action on Jan. 2 at St. Edward's.