By james art
HOUSTON, Texas (October 29, 2024) — Despite showing resilience through three quarters, the Lady Chaparrals of Labbock Christian University were unable to hold off Rice University in the final minutes, falling 69-49 in an exhibition game at Tudor Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. LCU held their own on defense and struggled to stay within striking distance, but Rice’s depth and offensive outbursts in the fourth quarter allowed the Owls to pull away as they outscored LCU 22-10 in the final frame.
The Lady Chaps had two players score in double figures, led by Macie Maddoxwho had 15 points and three steals. Grace Foster added 10 points and six rebounds and Kennedy Chapel added eight points.
LCU made 50% (7/14) in the third quarter, but shot 26.7% combined out of the quarter. They were just 3 of 18 (16.7%) from three-point range in the contest.
Lubbock Christian forced 14 Rice turnovers while committing 13 themselves in Tuesday’s game, but despite the advantage, Rice outscored LCU 10-4 in turnovers. Maddox’s three steals led the way for Lubbock Christian, which had seven steals from different individuals.
How it happened
Lubbock Christian got off to a strong start, building a 14-12 lead by the second quarter. Lubbock Christian did most of its damage in the first quarter in the paint, scoring 10 of its 14 points near the basket. They also had 12 points from the combination of Foster (7) and Maddox (5).
The Lady Chaps couldn’t hold onto their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 28-22 as LCU was 3-of-14 (21.4%) from the field. Maddox scored all eight of LCU’s points in the quarter and led LCU with 13 points in the first half.
Rice continued to add to its lead after halftime, building a 38-25 advantage before Lubbock Christian went on a 5-0 run, capped by a basket by Foster, to cut the deficit to 38-30 with 4:34 left in the third. The Lady Chaps couldn’t cut the deficit any further, but they also didn’t give up on Rice and entered the fourth quarter trailing 47-39. Lubbock Christian’s bench made the most of its minutes in the period, with non-starters totaling five of the team’s 17 points in the third quarter.
Lubbock Christian couldn’t get any closer in the fourth, losing by a final score of 69-49. Lubbock Christian fired from deep in the quarter, knocking down two shots to account for six of its 10 points. Twelve different Lady Chaps participated in the quarter as the game is LCU’s only exhibition game before the season opener on Saturday.
Game notes
» Lubbock Christian’s defense forced 14 fumbles.
» Lubbock Christian fell to 4-6 all-time in games (regular season and exhibition games combined) against NCAA Division I programs.
» Macie Maddox led the Lady Chaps with 15 points. She was 6 of 14 from the field.
» Lubbock Christian had a team-best six tackles by Grace Foster.
Next
Saturday, LCU opens its season in Canyon against Kutztown at 11 a.m. at First United Bank Center. The game is part of the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic hosted by West Texas A&M.