ODESSA, Texas (February 21, 2026) — No. 23 Lubbock Christian closed its regular-season road schedule with a 60-56 Lone Star Conference victory over UT Permian Basin on the Falcons' Senior Day inside Falcon Dome.
 
The Lady Chaps (21-6, 13-5 LSC) used a pair of decisive runs to control momentum and then executed late to secure their fourth straight win in the series. LCU improved to 33-1 all-time against UTPB and 13-1 in Odessa while finishing the regular season 10-5 in road games.
 
After falling behind 10-2 in the opening quarter, LCU answered with a 12-2 surge to take a 14-12 lead at the end of the period. The Lady Chaps delivered their most dominant stretch in the second quarter, outscoring the Falcons 17-6 while holding UTPB to 1-of-8 shooting. The defensive effort sparked a 31-18 halftime lead, as the Falcons went more than 12 minutes without a field goal.
 
UT Permian Basin (15-11, 10-8) rallied with a 21-point third quarter, trimming a 15-point deficit to 42-39 entering the fourth.
 
The fourth quarter featured two ties, the last at 52-52 with under five minutes remaining. Tia Johnson drained a go-ahead 3-pointer at the 4:56 mark to give LCU the lead for good, and Kennedy Chappell sealed the win with two free throws in the final seconds.
 
Johnson led LCU with 11 points. Taylor Allen added 10 points for the second straight game, and Chappell recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for her sixth double-double of the season. She became the ninth Lady Chap since 2012-13 to post at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a game.
 
LCU shot 40.4% from the field and went 17-of-22 at the free-throw line, finishing with 24 bench points and holding a 36-34 rebounding edge.
 
Kenadi Rising led the Falcons with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Juliet Esomchukwu added 14 points, including three 3-pointers. Madison Walters contributed nine points despite shooting 3-of-15 from the field. UTPB shot 33.9% for the game and was 5-o- 24 from beyond the arc.

How It Happened
Lubbock Christian started the game with a slow offense but managed to gain momentum towards the end of the first quarter. UT Permian Basin took an early lead with Kenadi Rising scoring eight points in the paint, giving them a 10-2 advantage at one stage. However, the Chaps responded with a run that included a three-pointer from Taylor Allen at 3:51 and a pair of free throws by Kennedy Chappell at 2:19, closing the gap. Tia Johnson's three-pointer at 0:46 gave Lubbock Christian its first lead, as a 12-2 LCU run put them ahead 14-12 at quarter's end. Rising had 10 of UTPB's 12 points in the frame. Chappell (5) and Allen (4) combined for nine points in the period.
 
Lubbock Christian pulled ahead in the second quarter with a dominant 17-6 performance against the Falcons. Martie McCoy fueled the scoring surge with a three-pointer at the 7:00 mark, followed by a layup and two free throws. Kyndle Cunningham and Allen added to the scoring with layups, while Johnson capped the quarter with a layup at 19 seconds remaining. UTPB struggled offensively, managing only one basket in the quarter, a layup by Jasmin Holt with 39 seconds left, despite several attempts from the field. UTPB was 1-of-8 (12.5%) from the field in the quarter, as they went over 12 minutes without a field goal. LCU led 31-18 at the break, with Allen, Tia Johnson and Chappell co-leading the Lady Chaps with six points each. Defensively, LCU held UTPB to 26.1% (6/23) shooting from the field.
 
The Chaps held a solid lead at the start of the third quarter, building a 15-point advantage with 7:31 left in the quarter (35-20), but the Falcons surged back with a 21-point quarter. Juliet Esomchukwu contributed significantly with a jumper and a three-pointer, while Madison Walters added a layup and two free throws. For Lubbock Christian, Meg Meekins and Tia Johnson each scored in the paint, with Deja Johnson adding a jumper and a layup. Rising's three-pointer in the final seconds brought UT Permian Basin within three points, ending the quarter with a 42-39 scoreline. UTPB stormed back via a 10-2 run to close the quarter. Deja Johnson led LCU with five points in the frame.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Chaps narrowly secured a 60-56 victory over the Falcons. Meekins opened the scoring in the final frame with a three-pointer at 8:33, assisted by Deja Johnson. Allen and McCoy contributed with key layups, maintaining the visitors' lead. Tia Johnson drained one of LCU's two three-pointers, of the second half, with 4:56 remaining and the score tied 52-52 to regain the LCU lead. Despite a late three-pointer by Jonesha Neal narrowing the gap to 56-54, the Lady Chaps held firm. Meekins (5), who led LCU in the half with seven points, and Chappell (4) combined for nine points in the period, with Chappel sealing the win with two free throws in the final seconds, ensuring the four-point margin.

Game Notes
» Kennedy Chappell delivered a an all-around performance, recording 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals. She becomes the ninth Lady Chap since the 2012-13 season to post a 10+ point, 10+ rebound, 4+ steal stat line and the first since Grace Foster accomplished the feat on Jan. 25, 2025 against Cameron (22 pts, 10 reb, 4 stl). The outing marked Chappell's sixth double-double of the season — and of her career — and gives her double-doubles in three of the last four games. Her 10 points also represented her 23rd double-figure scoring performance of the season and the 33rd of her Lubbock Christian career.
 
» Tia Johnson led LCU with 11 points and the performance led to Johnson's 10th career double-digit scoring game at Lubbock Christian and her eighth of the season.
 
» For a second consecutive game, Taylor Allen finished a point shy of matching her career high, as Saturday, she was 3-of-5 from the field and finished with 10 points for her third career double-figure scoring performance (has two of the three in consecutive games).
 
» LCU improved to 33-1 all-time against the Falcons, and they move to 13-1 all-time against UTPB in Odessa. The Lady Chaps have won four straight in the head-to-head series.   
 
» The Lady Chaps were playing their final regular season road game and move to 10-5 in road games this season, as they fall in consecutive road games for the first time this season.
 
Next Up
LCU returns home Thursday to host Western New Mexico for a 5:30 p.m. tip in a Lone Star Conference tilt.