HONOLULU (October 31, 2026) – The treat of spending Halloween in Hawaii comes with a little extra incentive for Lubbock Christian University and Western Colorado, as the teams meet Saturday with a berth in Sunday's Fifth-Place Game of the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic on the line. With uniforms serving as their Halloween costumes, the Lady Chaparrals and Mountaineers will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT inside the T.C. Ching Athletic Center on the Saint Louis School campus.

HOOPS IN HAWAII CLASSIC
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Western Colo.	Honolulu, Hawaii	Sat., Oct. 31	7:30 p.m. (CT)	Video	Stats

 
ALOHA!
Lubbock Christian women's basketball is making its third trip to Hawaii and third visit to Honolulu in 2026-27, entering the trip with a perfect 4-0 record in games played in the state. The Lady Chaps first traveled to Oahu for the 2013-14 Oahu Classic, defeating BYU-Hawaii 75-48 and Hawaii Pacific 92-80. LCU returned for the 2021 Oahu Thanksgiving Classic, beating Minnesota Crookston 62-42 before earning a 73-52 road win over Hawaii Pacific. With Friday's loss to Winona State, LCU is 4-1 all-time in Hawaii.
 
FRIDAY'S FALLOUT
A sizzling start turned into a stunning finish for Lubbock Christian Friday, as Winona State erased a 15-point deficit to hand the Lady Chaparrals a 58-54 season-opening loss at the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic. LCU (0-1) connected on its first five three-point attempts to build a 22-9 first-quarter lead, but Winona State (1-0) rallied to tie the game at halftime. The Lady Chaps led 50-44 early in the fourth before managing just four points over the final 9:47. Vivica Bretton broke a 54-54 tie with a jumper with 15 seconds remaining. Mattie Dollar delivered a career-high 20 points off the bench, while Kennedy Chappell added 17 points, hitting all four three-point attempts. Winona State dominated the glass 43-26, including 20 offensive rebounds, and held a 21-5 advantage in second-chance points, handing LCU its first loss in five games played in Hawaii.
 
HAWAIIAN TOPICS
- LCU opened the tournament making its first five three-point attempts and finished 9-of-21 (42.9%) from beyond the arc. However, the Lady Chaps went 0-of-6 from long range in the fourth quarter.
 
- The Lady Chaps were outrebounded 43-26 by Winona State, surrendering 20 offensive boards and a 21-5 disadvantage in second-chance points. LCU also was outscored 32-14 in the paint.
 
- Mattie Dollar (20) and Kennedy Chappell (17) combined for 37 of LCU's 54 points (68.5%), including seven of the team's nine three-pointers. Dollar established a career scoring high, while Chappell went 4-of-4 from three-point range.
 
WHO THEY FACE
- Western Colorado enters Saturday's matchup against Lubbock Christian University with an 0-1 record following a 74-63 season-opening loss to Hawaii Pacific on Friday. The Mountaineers were tied 17-17 after the opening quarter and trailed just 35-31 at halftime before briefly taking a 44-43 lead midway through the third quarter. Western entered the fourth trailing 53-49, but Hawaii Pacific pulled away as the Mountaineers shot just 33% in the final period. Senior Alyssa Eckroth led all scorers with a career-high 24 points, while newcomer Colette Van der Hoven added 15 points. Western controlled the boards 40-31, with Van der Hoven, Madyn Kassatly and Addisyn Parker collecting eight rebounds apiece. However, 21 turnovers proved costly, resulting in 20 points for Hawaii Pacific, while Western managed just four points off 13 Sharks turnovers.
 
- Western Colorado is coming off a 16-11 campaign in 2025-26, including a 14-6 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record and a second consecutive RMAC Tournament appearance. Despite that success, the Mountaineers were picked 11th in the 2026-27 RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 71 points. Western established itself as one of the conference's stronger defensive teams last season, allowing just 62.9 points per game, ranking fourth in the RMAC. The Mountaineers also led the conference in three-point shooting percentage (.360), although they enter this season needing to replace their top two perimeter threats. Eckroth, who averaged 12.9 points last season, returns as the team's leading returning scorer, while junior Penelope Urquhart averaged 5.7 points and collected 135 defensive rebounds, the second-highest total on the roster.
 
- The Mountaineers begin a new era under first-year head coach K.C. Bassett, who arrived after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach at Nebraska Kearney. Bassett previously spent 11 seasons directing Sterling College in Kansas, compiling a 231-115 record while capturing three Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season championships and three conference tournament titles. She is assisted by Kenedee Winfrey, a former UNLV and West Texas A&M player from Canyon, Texas. Western's early identity under Bassett features a combination of experienced returners and newcomers, with Eckroth and Urquhart anchoring the returning group. Friday's opener demonstrated the Mountaineers' rebounding strength but also exposed ball-security concerns, as Western committed 21 turnovers despite outrebounding Hawaii Pacific by nine. Urquhart also connected on a fourth-quarter three-pointer against the Sharks, highlighting her potential expanded offensive role.
 
HISTORY WITH WCU
Fitting these squads fall into tournament play facing one another, as LCU and Western Colorado, who have only faced each other three prior times, are already scheduled to face each other Monday, Nov. 9 in LCU's home opener inside Rip Griffin Center. LCU has a 3-0 all-time mark against Western Colorado. The two teams prior meeting was the only meeting in Lubbock, which resulted in a 51-38 LCU win on Nov. 27, 2022. The series began in 1993 (Nov. 27, 1993) in Portales, N.M. at the Zia Classic, where LCU won 71-47. The only meeting in Gunnison, Colo. resulted in an 83-66 LCU win on Nov. 22, 2003 during Steve Gomez's first season with the Lady Chaps.
 
PRIOR MEETING WITH WCU
Lubbock, Texas – Nov. 27, 2022: No. 16 Lubbock Christian University overcame a halftime deficit and used a dominant defensive second half to defeat Western Colorado 51-38 at Rip Griffin Center, extending its NCAA-leading home winning streak to 107 games. Trailing 25-24 at halftime, the Lady Chaparrals opened the second half on a 9-0 run and held the Mountaineers without a field goal throughout the third quarter. Western Colorado managed just three second-half field goals and shot 26.1% for the game, while LCU turned 20 turnovers into a 20-3 advantage in points off turnovers. Maci Maddox led LCU with 13 points and four steals, while Audrey Robertson contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. Grace Foster added nine points and 12 rebounds. Rachel Cockman scored a game-high 18 points for Western Colorado.
 
SUNDAY SCENARIO
The winner of Saturday's game plays Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in the fifth-place game, and the losing team plays at 5:15 p.m. (CT) in the seventh-place game. Chaminade and Alaska Anchorage are the possible opponents for Sunday.