NO. 14/3-SEED LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (27-5, 17-3 LSC)
vs. NO. 10/6-SEED BLACK HILLS STATE (27-4, 17-3 LSC)
Saturday, March 14 – Noon
Burg Center (Dallas, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
It's win or go home season for Lubbock Christian University as the Chaparrals begin NCAA Tournament play at the South Central Regional on Saturday. LCU has earned the No. 3 seed for a second-straight season and will take on the No. 6 seed Black Hills State at noon in the Burg Center in Dallas, Texas. This will be the eighth time in 11 seasons of eligibility and the sixth-straight appearance in the tournament. It is also the second-straight season for the regional to be hosted by Dallas Baptist.
 
THIS IS MARCH
LCU is joined at the regional by DBU, Eastern New Mexico, Western New Mexico, St. Edward's, St. Mary's and Colorado Mesa. The Chaps have played against every team in the regional except Black Hills State, going 5-3 in those games. The last time Lubbock Christian won a game at the NCAA Tournament was 2022, when they beat Texas A&M-Commerce (in their final year of D-II competition) 80-63. The Chaps are 4-7 all time at the tournament.
 
REGIONAL RECOGNITION
Lubbock Christian University forwards Amondo Miller Jr. and Antonio Pusateri were recognized on Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All-Region Teams, and Miller was named the South Central Region Player of the Year, the Association announced on Thursday. Miller was also named to the All-Region First Team, and Pusateri was named to the Second Team. Lubbock Christian was the only team in the region with multiple honorees. This is the second straight season for a Chap to win the region's Player of the Year award, after Ethan Duncan won it last season.
 
LONE STAR ALL-STARS
There were five Chaparral players honored with Lone Star Conference postseason awards, led by Player of the Year Amondo Miller Jr. and Newcomer of the Year Antonio Pusateri. It is the second-straight season and the four time overall that LCU has had the league's player of the year. Parker Hicks earned the award in 2021 and 2022, and Ethan Duncan claimed it last season. The pair were also both recognized on the All-Conference First Team, and Pusateri also earned a spot on the league's All-Defensive Team. Kendall Dow was named to the All-LSC Second Team, and Lucas Mercandino was named to the All-LSC Third Team.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Lubbock Christian dropped six spots in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top-25 poll and is now ranked No. 14. The Chaps have been nationally ranked every week this season, and they are one of just three Lone Star Conference teams in the rankings this week. Eastern New Mexico is at No. 14 and DBU jumped eight spots after winning the LSC Tournament to No. 15. St. Edward's is also receiving votes in the poll. Black Hills is the highest-ranked team in the South Central Region at No. 10. The Chaps have played seven games this season against ranked opponents and are 5-3 in those contests.
 
SHARP-SHOOTERS
In LCU's Tournament Semifinal loss to Eastern New Mexico, the Chaps shot 53.1 percent from the field, marking just the second time this season they have lost when shooting better than 50 percent. The other time was also against the Greyhounds. As a team, LCU now shooting 50.6 percent on the season, which ranks sixth in the nation and second in the conference. Lubbock Christian is also ranked seventh nationally in Effective FG%, which is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals only count for two points. Their EFG% so far this season is .576. Pusateri leads the team and is third in the LSC in field goal percentage at .598, and Miller and Lucas Mercandino are both shooting better than 49 percent as well. The Yellowjackets have held opponents to 41.5 percent shooting this season.
 
BEYOND THE ARC
LCU's efficiency extends all the way out past the three-point line, where their 38.8 percent shooting ranks ninth in all of Division II and leads the LSC. Dow leads the league and ranks 26th nationally, shooting 41.1 percent from deep and is second in the conference with 2.8 made three-pointers per game. He hit seven in the LSC tournament and has made 91 this season, which is the sixth-most by an LCU player in program history. LCU matched a program record with 20 made three-pointers – including 12 in the second half – earlier this season against Fort Lewis. The Chaps have shot better than 50 percent from behind the arc three times this season, including a season-high 64.7 percent on Nov. 2 against Augusta. BHSU opponents are shooting 32.1 percent from behind the arc.
 
BOARDING SCHOOL
Lubbock Christian was out-rebounded by five in the loss to ENMU, marking just the ninth time this season they have been out-rebounded. The Chaps have out-rebounded their opponent in 21 of 32 games this season, going 20-1 in those contests. They are averaging 36.2 rebounds per game. More than half of those rebounds come from just two players –Pusateri and Miller Jr. Pusateri is sixth in the nation in rebounds per game (10.8) and second nationally in double-doubles (21). He is on pace for 356 rebounds this season, which would be the third-most by a Chap in single-season history.
 
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS

• BHSU won the RMAC regular season title with a 17-3 league record and captured the league's tournament title for only the second time in program history
• Sophomore guard Cam Lowe was named the RMAC Player of the year and was joined on the All-RMAC First Team by Jaeton Hackley
• The Yellowjackets have won 10 straight games headed into the NCAA tournament, last losing on Feb. 5 against CSU-Pueblo, 71-53
• BSHU's other three losses have come against MSU-Moorehead, MSU-Denver and Fort Lewis
• Head coach Ryan Thompson was named the RMAC Coach of the year and is in his eighth season leading the program

 
THE SERIES WITH THE YELLOWJACKETS
This will be the first-ever meeting between Lubbock Christian and Black Hills State in men's basketball. The Yellowjackets have been to Lubbock once, playing as the No. 2 seed at the 2022 South Central Regional that LCU hosted. BHSU won that regional, defeating Colorado Mesa in the final.