LUBBOCK, Texas (February 28, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University closes out the regular season with Senior Day inside Rip Griffin Center, as the Lady Chaparrals host Sul Ross State at 1 p.m. Saturday is the final day of regular season play in the Lone Star Conference play, as the LSC Championship seedings will be announced following the slate of games.
 

LONE STAR CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
Sul Ross St.	Rip Griffin Center	Sat. Feb. 28	1 p.m.	Video	Stats

TICKETS 
  
PONY DOWN
LCU used balanced scoring and relentless defensive pressure to earn a 73-54 Lone Star Conference victory over Western New Mexico on Thursday at Rip Griffin Center.
 
The Lady Chaps (22-6, 14-5 LSC) led for more than 38 minutes, improved to 10-1 at home and extended their winning streak against the Mustangs to 18 straight games (21-10 all-time series lead).
 
LCU built a 19-9 first-quarter advantage behind hot perimeter shooting, connecting on 55.6% from three in the opening period. The Lady Chaps carried a 36-24 lead into halftime and used a 23-point third quarter to push the margin to as many as 23 points.
 
Tia Johnson led LCU with 12 points, marking her second straight game as the team's top scorer. Kennedy Chappell added 10 points for her 24th double-digit effort of the season, while freshmen Raegan Lee and Kyndle Cunningham each scored 10. Cunningham also grabbed seven rebounds, all in the first half.
 
LCU shot 47.2% from the field and 8-of-17 (47.1%) from three while forcing 16 turnovers and recording a season-high 11 steals. The Lady Chaps dominated the paint 34-20 and received 37 bench points to seal the win.

CHAP-TIVATING STATS: 5 LADY CHAP FACTS
1 > Control Their Own Path
Lubbock Christian enters the regular-season finale at 14-5 in Lone Star Conference play (22-6 overall), tied with Eastern New Mexico for fourth place. LCU owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over ENMU. The Lady Chaps are 10-1 at home, 9-5 in true road games and 3-0 at neutral sites, and they enter the final day riding a two-game win streak.

2 > Elite On Both Ends
LCU ranks 25th nationally (3rd LSC) in field-goal percentage (.442) and 57th nationally (6th LSC) in field-goal defense (.369). The Lady Chaps are 45th nationally (4th LSC) in scoring defense (58.2 ppg) and 60th nationally in scoring margin (+9.3).

3 > Best From Beyond The Arc
The Lady Chaps lead the Lone Star Conference and rank 9th nationally in three-point percentage (35.5%). They average 7.3 made threes per game (50th nationally, 2nd LSC). Meg Meekins leads LCU with 49 triples, ranking fourth in the LSC.

4 > Chappell Does It All
Kennedy Chappell leads the LSC in total points (429), free throws made (135) and free throw attempts (176). She ranks second in the league in field-goal percentage (.504) and averages 15.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She also leads the conference in total assists (97) and ranks fifth in steals (51).
 
5 > Ball Security = Winning Basketball
LCU leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks 29th nationally in fewest turnovers per game (13.6). The Lady Chaps rank second in the LSC in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.99). Martie McCoy leads the conference and ranks 11th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.38), while six different Lady Chaps recorded a steal in Thursday's win over Western New Mexico, where LCU posted a season-high 11 steals.
 
FREEBIRD
LCU women's basketball head coach Steve Gomez has been named head coach of the 2026 USA Basketball Women's U17 National Team, USA Basketball announced Tuesday.
Gomez will lead the United States at the 2026 FIBA U17 Women's World Cup (July 11-19) in Brno, Czechia, after guiding the USA U16 team to gold at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. He previously served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball in 2017 and 2018.
 
Now in his 23rd season at LCU, Gomez owns a 575-162 record and has led the Lady Chaps to three NCAA Division II national championships (2016, 2019, 2021). The U.S. has won six of seven FIBA U17 World Cups since the event began in 2010.
 
The team will hold trials and training camp prior to international competition this summer.
 
SWEET HOME (ON) CHICAGO
Lubbock Christian continues to make Rip Griffin Center one of the Lone Star Conference's toughest venues, posting a 10–1 home record during the 2025–26 season, including an 8–1 mark in LSC play. The Lady Chaps are riding a six-game home winning streak and own a +15.1 scoring margin on their home floor, averaging 72.3 points per game while holding opponents to just 57.2.
 
LCU has won eight of its 10 home victories by double figures, including four wins by 18 points or more. The lone setback came against West Texas A&M on Jan. 15.
 
Kennedy Chappell and Meg Meekins continue to power the success inside Rip Griffin Center. Chappell is averaging 16.0 points and 6.4 rebounds at home while shooting 52.6% from the field and 81.7% from the free-throw line. Meekins adds 11.6 points per game, connecting on 34.7% from three-point range.
 
Martie McCoy is averaging 7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists at home while shooting 42.1% from three-point range. Tia Johnson is shooting 90.0% at the free-throw line inside the Rip.
 
As a team, LCU is shooting 45.9% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range at home while converting 76.7% at the line. The Lady Chaps also own a +2.2 turnover margin, committing just 13.5 per game while forcing 15.6, and are holding opponents to 35.9% shooting overall and 31.0% from beyond the arc.

NCAA DIVISION II'S LONGEST HOME WIN STREAKS
113 - Lubbock Christian Jan. 1, 2015 - Feb. 2, 2023
87 - Neb. Kearney Jan. 31, 1995-Nov. 24, 2001
85 - West Tex. A&M Jan. 9, 1987-Dec. 6, 1991

CONFERENCE CONVERSATION
Lubbock Christian enters the final stretch of Lone Star Conference play at 14–5, owning a +9.3 scoring margin through 19 league contests. The Lady Chaps are averaging 66.6 points per game while holding conference opponents to 57.3, continuing to rely on defensive consistency and balanced offensive production.
 
LCU is shooting 44.1% from the field in conference play and 33.2% from three-point range, averaging 6.4 made threes per game (121 total). The Lady Chaps are converting 72.9% at the free-throw line and averaging 12.5 assists per contest.
 
Defensively, LCU has limited LSC opponents to 35.5% shooting overall and just 28.6% from beyond the arc. Rebounding has been nearly even (33.8–33.9), while the Lady Chaps average 13.4 turnovers per game and force 14.1, maintaining a positive turnover margin in league action.
 
Individually, Kennedy Chappell leads LCU in conference play at 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and pacing the team with 51 assists (2.7 per game). Meg Meekins adds 11.3 points with 22 made threes in league action.
 
Tia Johnson is averaging 8.3 points while shooting 43.2% from three-point range and 85.2% at the line. Martie McCoy contributes 7.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, while Raegan Lee (4.6 ppg, 49.2% FG, 41.9% 3FG) and Kyndle Cunningham (5.1 ppg, 48.6% FG) continue to provide efficient depth.

EYE-OPENING
The 2025-26 season marks LCU's 13th since leaving the NAIA and LCU is 341-68 record (83.4%) in that span. In NCAA postseason play, the Lady Chaps are 27-5 all-time (78.1%). At home, LCU is 163-9 (94.8%) since the start of the 2015-16 season (NCAA era).
 
SENIOR SEND-OFF
This weekend marks more than the final regular-season home games for LCU — it also represents the final appearance inside Rip Griffin Center for the program's senior class. The four seniors will be recognized during halftime of Saturday's men's game.
Deja Johnson (61 career games) and Tia Johnson (87 games) will be honored alongside Martie McCoy (103 games) and Taylor Thomas (74 games), who have each spent their entire collegiate careers at Lubbock Christian. The quartet closes out its home tenure having helped anchor multiple postseason runs and sustained success within the Lone Star Conference.
 
IN THE REGION
The South Central Region Ranking Advisory Committee (RAC) has released its second regional rankings of the season — and the first edition listed in true 1–10 order. Unlike the initial alphabetical release, this ranking reflects the committee's evaluated positioning of teams within the region.
 
The final regional rankings, scheduled to be announced a week from Sunday following the conclusion of conference tournaments, will determine the eight teams advancing to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. The field will include two automatic qualifiers and six at-large selections, with the No. 1 overall seed earning first right of refusal to host.
 
South Central Region Rankings (Second Release):

1. Texas Woman's
2. West Texas A&M
3. Colorado Mesa
4. Lubbock Christian
5. Adams State
6. Colo. Colorado Springs (UCCS)
7. UT Tyler
8. Eastern New Mexico
9. St. Mary's (TX)
10. Western Colorado

 
FIVE FACTS ABOUT SRSU 
1 > Sul Ross State enters play in their season finale at 3-22 overall and 2-17 in Lone Star Conference play, currently 16th in the standings. The Lobos have dropped seven straight but have remained competitive down the stretch, including a narrow 71-65 road loss Tuesday at UT Dallas. They fell to Midwestern State Thursday.
2 > Sophomore guard Sophiya Bustillos entered Thursday's play leading SRSU at 12.4 points per game (12.4 in conference play) and is shooting 35.0% from three overall, 35.9% in league action. She erupted for a game-high 24 points with six made threes against UT Dallas providing a proven perimeter threat capable of quick scoring bursts.
3 > Junior Leslie Mojica (11.5 ppg; 12.3 in LSC play) impacts the game across the stat sheet, entering Thursday at MSU leading the team in assists (71) and steals (61). Senior Victoria Aguayo adds 9.4 conference points per game and 7.9 rebounds, recently appearing in her 100th collegiate game — a steady presence logging nearly 37 minutes per contest in league play.
4 > Despite challenges in scoring margin (-17.5 in conference), Sul Ross ranks among the more active defensive teams in the LSC, entering their MSU contest averaging 12.6 steals per game in league contests. Their ability to generate turnovers (19.5 forced per game) keeps them within reach and creates transition opportunities.
5 > Heading into Thursday's action, the Lobos convert 70.9% of their free throws in conference play and average 13.4 made free throws per game. Mojica (75-of-100 in LSC play) and Aguayo (84.4% from the line in conference games) provide reliability in late-game situations.
 
THE SERIES AGAINST SRSU
LCU leads the all-time regular season series 41-12 in regular season play. The Lady Chaps faced SRSU in their first 2024-25 meeting as LSC opponents and it was their first head-to-head meeting since Nov. 21, 2006. The Lady Chaps have won the prior 29 meetings. Sul Ross's last win was Jan. 6, 1989. The two teams were never Sooner Athletic Conference foes, but did compete against each other as conference foes in the TIAA (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and served in the same NAIA district (NAIA used to use Districts for postseason play). The two teams did meet in an exhibition game on Nov. 5, 2016, with LCU claiming a 73-45 win in Alpine, Texas.
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. SRSU
ALPINE, Texas (Feb. 6, 2025) – LCU 73 – SRSU 45  
Lubbock Christian clinched its fourth Lone Star Conference West Division title with a commanding 73-45 road win over Sul Ross State at Gallego Center. The victory was LCU's 12th straight and secured the division crown with an 11-0 mark, keeping the Lady Chaps tied atop the overall LSC standings.
 
Grace Foster led four Lady Chaps in double figures with 15 points, adding seven rebounds and three steals. Her performance tied LCU's all-time scoring record at 1,796 career points. Kennedy Chappell added 14 points, while Audrey Robertson and Audrey Spurgin each scored 10.
 
LCU set the tone early with a 10-0 first-quarter run and never trailed, stretching the lead to 35-18 at halftime and 57-29 after three quarters. The Lady Chaps forced 16 turnovers, converting them into 16 points, and matched a season high with 11 steals. They held SRSU to 35.4% shooting and 25% from three-point range.
 
The win marked LCU's sixth straight road victory and 29th consecutive triumph over the Lobos.