Chaps Start Dallas Swing Against Comets

By: Everett Corder (everett.corder@lcu.edu)

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NO. 7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (19-3, 10-2 LSC)
at UT DALLAS (5-14, 4-7 LSC)
Thursday, February 3 – 7:30 p.m.
UTD Activity Center (Richardson, Texas)
 
TIPOFF
The busy week continues for the Chaps, as they have now hit the road for the Metroplex, where they will first take on UT Dallas at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the UTD Activity Center. Lubbock Christian University already got one win this week, taking down Midwestern State in a rare Tuesday game at the Rip Griffin Center. The busy stretch will wrap up on Saturday with a matchup at DBU, which was rescheduled from Jan. 24. There are just eight games total left in the regular season, and LCU’s opponents have a combined winning percentage of just .450, which is the third-easiest remaining schedule among Lone Star Conference teams.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Lubbock Christian moved up two spots and is now ranked No. in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll. The Chaps have been ranked every week this season, reaching as high as No. 3. Two other Lone Star Conference teams are in the poll, with Eastern New Mexico at No. 11 and St. Edward’s at No. 19. Western New Mexico, DBU at St. Mary’s are all also receiving votes. LCU has played against seven ranked teams so far this season, going 5-2 in those games overall. Their two ranked losses are to Washburn, who is still undefeated and unanimous No. 1 in the poll, and Eastern New Mexico.
 
IN THEIR DEFENSE
The Chaparrals have held back-to-back opponents under 60 points for the first time this season allowing just 57 from Midwestern State on Tuesday and a season-low 50 from Cameron on Saturday. LCU has played seven games this season where they limited an opponent to less than 60 points, winning all seven times. Lubbock Christian opponents are averaging just 67.4 points per game this season, which gives them the third-best defense in the Lone Star Conference. Chap opponents shoot just 41.5 percent from the field, including 31.0 percent from behind the arc.
 
IRON MEN
Three of the top five players in the Lone Star Conference in minutes per game are starters for LCU. Amondo Miller Jr. leads the way, ranking second in the league and 34th nationally with 35:30 minutes per game. Dow and Pusateri are not far behind at third and fifth, respectively. Dow has played the full 40 minutes in six games this season. Only Leo Nordberg (21.2) and Reagan Fielder (10.6) are averaging double-digit minutes off the bench, although each have seen minutes as starters since Alex Anamekwe was injured in the game against West Texas A&M.
 
SHARP SHOOTERS
As a team, LCU now shooting 50.3 percent on the season, which ranks 9th in the nation and leads  the conference. Lubbock Christian is also ranked 6th 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 .577. Pusateri leads the team and is third in the LSC in field goal percentage at .592, and Amondo Miller Jr. and Kendall Dow and Lucas Mercandino are all shooting better than 48 percent.
 
BEYOND THE ARC
LCU’s efficiency extends all the way out past the three-point line, where their 39.7 percent shooting ranks 8th in all of Division II and leads the LSC. Kendall Dow leads the team and the league, shooting 41.8 percent from deep. Dow  also leads the conference with 2.74 made three-pointers per game. 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.
 
BOARD GAMES
The Chaps have out-rebounded back-to-back opponents and have pulled down more boards than their opposition 16 times this season, going 15-1 in those contests. The Chaps average 36.95 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the league. More than half of those rebounds come from two players – Pusateri and Miller. Pusateri is averaging a whopping 11.0 boards per game, which leads the LSC and is fifth nationally. His 14 double-doubles are the second-most in Division II. He is on pace for 330 rebounds in the regular season, which would be the fourth-most in a single-season in Chap history. Miller has added in 8.8 rebounds per game and has seven double-doubles on the year.
 
SCOUTING THE COMETS

UT Dallas is transitioning from the Division III level and is not eligible for the LSC or NCAA postseason this year
The Comets lost their first nine games of the season, won five of their next six, and are now on a four-game losing streak
UTD allows 78.6 points per game, which is the fifth-worst mark in the conference
Jaden Jefferson leads the team in scoring with 19.0 points per game, but has only played in nine games this season and has not appeared since Jan. 17
The Comets shoot just 42.5 percent from the field as a team, which is the third-worst mark in the LSC

 
THE SERIES WITH THE COMETS
Lubbock Christian and UT Dallas met for the first time in the history of the two programs last year, in a game pre-Thanksgiving at the Rip Griffin Center. The Chaps shot 56.2 percent from three-point range and better than 60 percent from the field on the way to a 108-73 win. Five players finished in double-figures, led by Miller’s 22 points.
 
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

DBU ranks second in the conference in offense, averaging 82.4 points per game
The Patriots won the Lone Star Conference regular season and tournament title last year before winning the South Central Regional to advance to the Elite Eight
Dallas Baptist ranks ninth nationally and first in the league with 36.59 bench points per game, with only two starters averaging double-figures
After losing their first three games of the season, the Patriots rattled off an 11-game win streak in the middle of the season, and they have lost just twice in league play
DBU shoots just 61.0 percent from the free throw line, which is the worst mark in the LSC

 
THE SERIES WITH THE PATRIOTS
Lubbock Christian and Dallas Baptist have met 54 times since the Chaps became a four-year institution, with DBU holding the all-time edge 34-20. In the 20 games played since LCU moved into the NCAA, they are 8-12 against the Patriots. Last season, the two teams split a pair of games, with LCU winning on the road in Dallas in the regular season and DBU getting revenge with a win over the Chaps in the LSC Tournament Championship game.