LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (15-6, 10-3)
vs. EASTERN NEW MEXICO (13-7, 8-6)
Saturday, February 1 – 3 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
Lubbock Christian will wrap up a four-game homestand this weekend, hosting Eastern New Mexico at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps have won the three prior games in this stretch at the friendly confines, including a 63-58 victory against West Texas A&M on Thursday night. Eastern New Mexico also got a big win on Thursday, taking down Midwestern State by one in Wichita Falls.
 
JUST JANUARY
The Chaparrals started the month of January against these same Greyhounds, and they had a good month to start the calendar year, going 7-2 overall. They averaged 74.2 points per game in the month on 47.2 percent shooting, while opponents were held to 63.9 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting. All five LCU starters averaged double-figures for the month, led by Ethan Duncan's 17.8 points per game. Sean Murphy was the team's top rebounder for the month, averaging exactly seven a contest.
 
BEYOND THE ARC
Lubbock Christian hit 9 three-pointers on Thursday, shooting 40.9 percent from deep. Ty Caswell led the way individually, going 3-for-5 on long range attempts. LCU is shooting 40.2 percent from deep overall, which leads the LSC and ranks No. 3 nationally. Duncan made one on Thursday, bringing his season total to 66, which is the 12^th-most in all of Division II and leads the LSC. Jaylen Thompson has only attempted 24 three-pointers, but is shooting a whopping 50 percent, and Caswell is now shooting 47.4 percent for the year.
 
PROTECT THE ROCK
The Chaps turned the ball over just 11 times against the Buffs. This season, they average just 9.9 turnovers per game, which is the fewest in the Lone Star Conference and ranks No. 12 nationally. Against Angelo State on Jan. 18, they turned it over just two times, which was their fewest in a single game since 2021. LCU also ranks second in the league in assist to turnover ratio at 1.41. Muhammad is the league-leader in that category individually at 3.2, and that mark ranks No. 9 nationally.
 
SHARP SHOOTERS
Effective field goal percentage 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. Lubbock Christian leads the LSC and ranks No. 19 in the nation in that stat with a mark of 56.4 percent. Their actual field goal percentage of 47.9 is good enough for 41st nationally and second in the LSC. Murphy was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor on Thursday, raising his team-leading field goal percentage to 61.9. That mark would rank No. 18 nationally and second in the LSC if he met the minimum of five made field goals per game.
 
CHARITY STRIPE
LCU missed just two free throws on Thursday night, shooting 88.2 percent from the charity stripe. They have shot better than 80 percent in three straight games and 11 times overall this season. Overall, the Chaps are shooting 77.6 percent from the free throw line, which is the 17^th-best mark in the country and leads the conference. Both Caswell and Duncan are shooting better than 90 percent on the year, but have not attempted enough to qualify for the league leaderboards. Muhammad has though, and his 83.3 percent shooting is second-best in the LSC.
 
WHERE THE HEART IS
This will be the final game of a four-game homestand for the Chaps, who are 7-2 at the Rip Griffin Center this season. On their home floor this season, LCU is averaging 82.6 points per game on 50.1 percent shooting. Opponents in the Rip are averaging 65.8 points on just 46/2 percent shooting. Amondo Miller Jr., Duncan, Caswell, Murphy and Muhammad are all averaging at least 11 points per game at home this year. The Chaps are 151-81 (.649) in home games under head coach Todd Duncan.
 
LOOKING AT THE LONE STAR
The biggest win of Thursday night was by LCU's Saturday opponent, with ENMU sweeping the season series against Midwestern State with a close win on the road. St. Mary's remained in first place with a win against Texas A&M-International. DBU came one point short of hanging 100 on Oklahoma Christian, staying right on the heels of the Rattlers. Those two teams will meet next Saturday in San Antonio. UT Permian Basin still sits atop the West Division at 6-2, having played one more in-division game than the Chaps.
 
THE SERIES WITH THE GREYHOUNDS
Lubbock Christian and Eastern New Mexico have met 72 times on the hardwood, with the all-time series tied at exactly 36 wins apiece. The Chaps evened the series when the two teams met earlier this season, stopping a four-game losing streak to the Greyhounds with a 77-71 win in Portales. LCU's last win against ENMU in the Rip Griffin Center was on Jan. 21, 2023, when they won 89-65 behind 21 points from Muhammad.
 
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS

• ENMU has the top offense in the conference leading in points per game (90.2) as well as field goal percentage (.515)
• Greyhound guard Cooper Jackson, who just returned from injury, has amassed a whopping 45 steals this season (third in the LSC) despite having played in just 12 games this season
• Head coach Daven Vo is in his first year back at ENMU after serving as the associate head coach for UC-Colorado Springs last season
• Senior forward Mario Whitley leads the Greyhounds in both scoring (15.3) and rebounding (9.2)
• The Greyhounds lead the conference in rebounding with 40.2 per game