NO. 8 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (13-2, 4-1 LSC)
vs. NO. 20 ST. MARY (10-2, 3-1 LSC)
Sunday, January 4 – 3 p.m.
Bill Greehey Arena (San Antonio, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
For the third-straight game, Lubbock Christian University will face a team ranked in the top-25 nationally, as they head to San Antonio for a matchup against No. 20 St. Mary's on Sunday at 3 p.m. In this current stretch, the Chaps have also played against (and beaten) No. 12 West Liberty and No. 13 St. Edward's. Overall, LCU is 3-1 against ranked opponents, with the only loss coming against No. 2 Washburn. The Chaps themselves are ranked No. 8 nationally this week, and have been ranked as high as No. 3 this season.
 
FIVE THINGS TO FOCUS ON
1 | Junior forward Antonio Pusateri had a career-high 32 points on Friday in the win against St. Edward's, scoring on an extremely efficient 14-of-17 shooting. Pusateri, who is the reigning Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week, has surpassed the 20-point mark in four of the last five games. He is averaging 16.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, and leads the nation with nine double-doubles on the year.
2 | The Chaps shot a season-high 93.3 percent from the free throw line on Friday, hitting 14 of their 15 attempts from the charity stripe. It is the first time this season they have shot better than 90 percent. Last season, they shot better than 90 percent four times.
3 | Lubbock Christian ranks No. 14 nationally and leads the LSC in three-point field goal percentage. They are shooting 39.6 percent from behind the arc as a team. Kendall Dow leads the team in threes made with 35 on 41.7 percent shooting, while Amondo Miller Jr. leads in three-point percentage, hitting on 43.9 percent of his 57 attempts.
4 | The Chaps have only been out-rebounded one time this season, averaging 38.0 boards per game so far this season, which is the second-best mark in the conference. Pusateri's 10.9 per game rank sixth nationally, and Miller Jr.'s 7.6 defensive rebounds per game are the seventh-most in Division II.
5 | LCU is currently second in the LSC standings, behind only Eastern New Mexico and DBU, who are both undefeated in league play so far this year. The Rattlers, along with four other teams, are right on their heels with LSC records of 3-1.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS

• StMU's only league loss so far this season came against DBU, but they also suffered a non-conference loss to Fort Lewis, a team the Chaps have beaten
• The Rattlers have the best defense in the league, holding opponents to an average of 65.3 points per contest
• LSC Preseason Player of the Year Damani Claxton leads St. Mary's in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game
• St. Mary's has the second-best rebounding margin in the conference, averaging 7.4 more boards per game than their opponents
• Although they rank second in the LSC in three-point percentage (36.9), the Rattlers average just 6.3 three-pointers per game, which ranks 11^th in the league

 
THE SERIES WITH THE RATTLERS
Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's first met in 1992, but most of their 18 total meetings have come in the 21^st century. LCU leads the all-time series 11-7 and had won seven-straight matchups until last season, when StMU won both meetings. The second matchup in the 2024-25 season was the biggest blow, coming in the NCAA Tournament and ending the Chap season.