LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-6, 11-3)
vs. WESTERN NEW MEXICO (4-17, 3-12)
Saturday, February 6 – 8 p.m. CT
Drag's Court (Silver City, New Mexico)
 
TIPOFF
After a two-week stretch at home, LCU is headed back out for their first road game since Jan. 18, when they played at Angelo State. They will make the eight-hour trek to Silver City in The Land of Enchantment. The Chaps will be looking to return the favor from the Jan. 11 game against Western New Mexico, which the Mustangs won 81-76 in the Rip Griffin Center. LCU won all four of the games on the homestand and have won eight out of their 10 times in 2025.
 
OFFENSIVE OPTIONS
Lubbock Christian had five players finish in double-figures in their most recent game against Eastern New Mexico, including four of their five starters and one off the bench. Ethan Duncan and Ty Caswell led the team with 19 points apiece, Amondo Miller Jr. was right behind with 18, Najeeb Muhammad added 11 and Kendall Dow scored 10 off the bench. LCU's only non-starter who didn't reach double-figures was Sean Murphy, who is averaging 10.8 points per game. Duncan, Miller Jr. and Muhammad are all also averaging double-figures, and Caswell is close by with 9.7 points per game.
 
JUST JANUARY
The Chaparrals finished out the month of January last week against West Texas A&M 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 shot 46.2 percent from deep on Saturday, hitting 12 three-pointers against the Greyhounds. Caswell and Duncan led the way, each going 4-6. LCU is shooting 40.5 percent from deep overall, which leads the LSC and ranks No. 3 nationally. Duncan's four threes Saturday bring his season total to 70, which is the 10^th-most in all of Division II and leads the LSC. His percentage of .440 is third on the team of players with at least 20 attempts, behind Caswell (.481) and Jaylen Thompson, who is shooting 48.8 percent on 84 attempts.  
 
THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST
In their most recent game against ENMU, the Chaps limited the Greyhounds, who came in averaging 90.6 points per game, to just 68. They have limited four of the last five opponents to less than 70 points and are allowing just 66.8 points per game, which ranks No. 28 nationally. In Lone Star Conference games, they are allowing even fewer at 64.8 points per game, which barely ranks second in the league behind Midwestern State. Chaparral opponents are shooting 44.4 percent against them, including just 33.4 percent from behind the arc.
 
CHARITY STRIPE
LCU missed just two free throws on Saturday, shooting 90 percent (18-20) from the charity stripe. It is the second time this season they have shot better than 90 percent in a game, and they have shot better than 80 percent in four straight games and 12 times this season. Overall, the Chaps are shooting 78.3 percent from the free throw line, which is the 15^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 84.1 percent shooting is second-best in the LSC.
 
LOOKING AT THE LONE STAR
St. Mary's shut down Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday to remain atop the conference standings, and DBU stayed right on their heels with a win against Cameron. UT Permian Basin also won again, keeping them a half game ahead of the Lubbock Christian for the West Division lead. Next Saturday's matchup between the Falcons and the Chaps could possibly be for the West Division crown, but Angelo State is also right behind LCU at 6-3 in divisional play.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
LCU is playing their ninth true road game of the season, boasting a 6-2 record so far. Their two true road losses came at Regis and at Angelo State, but they are also 2-2 in neutral site games. They are averaging 74.1 points per game on the road compared to 82.6 inside the Rip Griffin Center. The biggest difference comes behind the arc, where LCU shoots 43.3 percent at home and only 38.9 percent on the road. Opponents are scoring 68.4 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting. Ethan Duncan is the team's leading scorer in road games with an average of 20.6 point per game on 48.7 percent shooting. Miller Jr. and Jaylen Thompson are also averaging double-figures in road games.
 
THE SERIES WITH THE MUSTANGS
Lubbock Christian and Western New Mexico first met all the way back in 1973, but they have only met on the hardwood 24 times since then. LCU leads the all-time series 14-11. In the 21^st century, the Chaps have won eight of the 11 meetings, but all three of the Mustang wins have come in the last two years. WNMU got 25 points from Matthew Okoye and 22 from Carson Kelly, shooting 50.9 percent earlier this season with they beat the Chaps at the Rip Griffin Center.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS

• WNMU is second in the LSC (behind the Chaps) in free throw percentage, shooting 73.8 percent from the charity stripe this year
• The Mustangs averaging just 66.0 points per game this year, which is tied for the fewest in the conference
• WNMU's 50.9 percent shooting from the field against Lubbock Christian is still their highest mark of the season
• Texas native Matthew Okoye leads the team in scoring with 18.8 points per game, albeit in just 12 contests. He did not play his first game with the Mustangs until Dec. 17
• The Mustangs average just 9.81 assists per game, which is the lowest mark in the LSC