FRISCO, Texas (March 9, 2025) – Lubbock Christian mounted a double-digit comeback for the second straight game and took a brief lead late in the second half, but came up short, 76-70, in the Lone Star Conference Championship game.
 
Ethan Duncan, Sean Murphy and Najeeb Muhammad combined for 57 of the 70 points scored by the Chaparrals (25-8), led by Duncan's 23. Murphy added in 18 and notched a double-double with 12 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive glass. Muhammad scored 13.
 
DBU led by as many as 14 in the contest and were up that many as late as halftime, but a strong second half of shooting turned the game around and eventually had the Chaps up by six with 7:52 left in the game. LCU's turnovers in the second half (eight total) proved too much to overcome as the top-seed Patriots pulled off the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Facing a quick turnaround after last night's semifinal ended at 11:30 p.m., LCU struggled to shoot the ball throughout the first 20 minutes, hitting just nine of their 32 attempts (28.1 percent). What kept them in the game was that five of those shots came from behind the arc, including two apiece from Duncan and Muhammad.
 
The Patriots pushed the lead out to double-figures for the first time at the 11:13 mark on a bucket from Ricky Lujan but were up by only five again just four minutes later when Duncan hit an and-one jumper with the ensuing free throw.
 
A 9-0 by DBU got the lead out to its widest point of the entire game at 14 with 4:44 left in the half, and despite baskets from the Chaps,  a tip-in with three seconds left from the Patriots took the teams into the break with the gap still at double-digits.
 
LCU flipped the script in the final 20 minutes of play, shooting a whopping 56 percent to get themselves back into the game. Less than five minutes into the half, they pulled within one on a basket from Murphy, and it was the New Zealand native's jumper in the paint at the 11:46 mark that put the Chaps on top for the first time in the half.
 
Murphy's basket was part of a 9-0 Lubbock Christian run that eventually had them up by five and looking to complete another comeback win. Jaden Shelvin stopped the run for the Patriots with a layup to set up a battle for the title in the final eight minutes.
 
The Chaps got the lead as wide as six but fell prey to DBU's forced turnover machine with four in the next four minutes as the Patriots tied it up and then took the lead at the 3:17 mark. LCU got back on top on an and-one from Muhammad, but DBU answered with a three-pointer from Cody Stevens that gave them the lead for good.
 
GAME NOTES
» Ethan Duncan, Sean Murphy, and Najeeb Muhammad combined to account for 81 percent of the Chaparrals points.
» Lubbock Christian played solid perimeter defense, holding Dallas Baptist to 13 percent from three point land on 15 attempts. It was the second-lowest three-point percentage of the season for the Patriots.
» Sean Murphy notched a double-double for the Chaparrals with 18 points and 12 rebounds. It is his fifth double-double of the season.
» LCU is now 7-6 all-time in the LSC Tournament in six appearances.
» The Chaparrals shared the ball well, recording an assist on 65 percent of made field goals. Murphy led the way with a season-high seven helpers.
» Duncan and Muhammad were named to the All-Tournament Team.