Lubbock Christian University Athletics

ELLENSBURG, Wash. (October 31, 2026) — Lubbock Christian University defeated Western Washington (0-2) 72-67 Saturday night at Nicholson Arena. The Chaps trailed 29-28 at halftime before outscoring WWU 44-38 in the second half. The Chaparrals made 23 of 26 free throws and blocked seven shots, while the Vikings shot 22 of 54 from the field.

The Chaps improved to 2-0 overall while the Vikings fell to 0-2. 

LCU fell into an early 7-2 deficit but quickly got the offense going with interior scoring from Brendan Ballard and a three-pointer from DeAndre Lott to move ahead 11-8. The Chaps did much of their work inside, scoring 18 points in the paint, while also getting three blocks and three steals on the defensive end. 

A pair of free throws from Charlie Onana at the 8:41 mark sparked a 7-1 run for the Chaps that got them out in front by seven but WWU closed the half by moving back in front and took a 29-28 lead into halftime. Reagan Fiedler's two free throws with 1:08 remaining cut the final gap to one, but LCU faced a deficit heading into the locker room.

Lott opened the second half for the Chaps with a layup off Leo Nordberg's assist, and Nordberg hit two early three-pointers, the second off an assist from Ballard. WWU tied the game at 49-49 with 9:01 left, but Reagan Fiedler answered with a three-pointer of his own, and Onana added two baskets during the stretch that followed to give Lubbock Christian some breathing room. 

Fighting to stay in front, the Chaps closed the half with 10 straight made free throws from 3:43 to 1:18, but the Vikings just wouldn't go away. A steal and an and-one layup with 51 seconds left put LCU ahead by just two, but Nordberg answered by hitting a jumper in the lane. The Chaps forced a turnover on the ensuing possession, Rylan Houck hit one more free throw, and LCU sealed the win with a defensive stop on the other end. 

GAME NOTES
- Nordberg finished with a game and career high 22 points, giving him his first 20-point game ever in a Chaparral uniform. He out-did his previous career-high of 13, which came last season against UT Dallas.
- The Chaps were 23-of-26 at the free-throw line on the night, shooting 88.5% on their attempts. They only shot better than that on free throws once all of last season, and that was in a game where they only had nine attempts.
- Fiedler reached the double-digit scoring mark for just the second time in his collegiate career and was one point shy of tying his career high.
- The Chaparrals finished with seven blocks, which was their most since March 1, 2025, when they also had seven in a game against Midwestern State.
- Lubbock Christian led the game for 30 minutes and 31 seconds, or 76.3% of the time.
- LCU struggled mightily from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting just one of their 10 attempts, but they were 4-for-8 in the final 20 minutes

NEXT UP: 
The Chaps will play one more game in The Evergreen State, taking on host Central Washington at 3 p.m. PT Sunday at Nicholson Arena.