NO. 4 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-0, 1-0)
vs. ANGELO STATE (8-2, 0-1)
Saturday, December 5 – 3 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
Lubbock Christian started of Lone Star Conference play on the right foot Wednesday night, beating UT Permian Basin, and will now host Angelo State at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps were victorious in their first league game for the sixth straight season and improved to 7-0 on the year – their best start to a season since 2021. This Saturday is LCU Basketball's annual Toys for Tots game. Bring a toy donation for free entry and help spread the holiday cheer as LCU SAAC partners with the US Marine Corps this season.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Also during their break from competition for Thanksgiving, LCU vaulted up the national rankings in the first in-season top-25 poll from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The Chaps, who were No. 25 in the association's preseason poll, have now jumped all the way up to No. 4 nationally, which is their highest ranking since the 2021-22 season, when they were No. 1 overall for eight straight weeks. Lubbock Christian is the only school in the nation with both its men's and women's teams ranked in the top five nationally. Three more LSC teams are nationally ranked, including St. Mary's (9), St. Edward's (11) and West Texas A&M (13).
 
MILLER MAGIC
Amondo Miller Jr. has had a strong start to his senior season, winning two league Player of the Week awards and also earning Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic Tournament MVP. An All-LSC Third Team selection last season, Miller Jr. ranks ninth in the nation in points per game (24.1), sixth in three-point percentage (57.6) and fourth in total field goals (63). He also leads the LSC in defensive rebounds per game with 6.86 He is shooting 57.8 percent from the field and has added in 11 steals and five blocks on the defensive end of the floor.
 
SHARP SHOOTERS
After shooting 58.5 percent in their most recent win against UT Permian Basin, LCU is now shooting 51.6 on the season, which ranks 14^th in the nation and leads the conference. Lubbock Christian is ranked even higher – 10^th  nationally – in Effective FG%, which is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals only count for two points. Their EFG% so far this season is .605. Miller Jr. is the team leader in field goal percentage, but Kendall Dow and Antonio Pusateri are both shooting above 50 percent for the season as well.
 
BEYOND THE ARC
LCU's efficiency extends all the way out past the three-point line, where their 46.2 percent shooting ranks third in all of Division II. The Chaps did struggle on three-pointers Wednesday, shooting a season-low 23.1 percent. Dow and Miller Jr. both rank in the top 10 nationally in three-point percentage, both shooting slightly better than 57 percent. LCU matched a program record with 20 made three-pointers – including 12 in the second half – earlier this season against Fort Lewis. The Chaps have shot better than 50 percent from behind the arc three times this season, including a season-high 64.7 percent on Nov. 2 against Augusta.
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Lubbock Christian was picked to finish third in the 2025 Lone Star Conference preseason poll, which is voted on by coaches, sports information directors and media members around the league. The Chaparrals garnered 720 points overall in the poll, including four first-place votes, which was the second-most among the 17 league teams. Preseason Players to Watch were also released by the league, with LCU's Amondo Miller Jr. recognized. Only reigning champion DBU had more first place votes than LCU, as they were picked to repeat atop the league. St. Mary's finished just ahead of the Chaps with 724 total points. The Rattlers also boast the league's Preseason Player of the Year in senior guard Damani Claxton.
 
WHERE THE HEART IS
This will be the fourth home game of the season for the Chaps, who are 3-0 inside the Rip Griffin so far this year. Including Saturday's matchup with ASU, they have nine more games on their home court. In their three home games so far this season, they are averaging 82.0 points per game on 53.8 shooting, while limiting opponents to 62.3 points per game on 41 percent shooting. Officially dedicated on October 9, 2000, the Rip Griffin Center seats 1,950 fans for sporting events.
 
SCOUTING THE RAMS

• Angelo State has lost just two games so far this season, but both have come against Lone Star Conference opponents – Sul Ross and UT Permian Basin
• Head coach Vinay Patel is in his fourth season leading the Rams, posting a record of 70-32 during his time at the helm
• Three Angelo State players are averaging double-figures so far this year, led by Jaqai Murray with 14.5 points per game on 55.2 percent shooting
• The Rams rank in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage, shooting just 30.2 percent from behind the arc so far this year
• The Rams will have a new look in the 2025-26 season as they return only two players - Chace Fields and Darius Brady - from last year's team

 
THE SERIES WITH THE RAMS
Lubbock Christian and Angelo State have been meeting on the hardwood for a very long time, dating all the way back to when the Chaps were still playing at the junior college level. The Rams lead the all-time series 24-14 and 32-13 when the junior college seasons are included. LCU has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including a split of the season series in 2024-25.