By james art 
CANYON, Texas (November 2, 2024) — Grace Foster scored 18 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, sparking Lubbock Christian University to an early 14-0 run as the Lady Chaparrals began their 2024-25 season with a convincing 64-41 win over Kutztown (Pa.) in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at First United Bank Center Saturday.
Foster led the Lady Chaps (1-0) with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals. Audrey Robertson had nine points, six rebounds and two steals and Kennedy Chapel also chipped in with eight points and nine rebounds.
Lubbock Christian pulled down 38 rebounds in Saturday’s game compared to Kutztown’s 28, led by nine rebounds from Audrey Spurgin. Macie Maddox led the Lady Chaps individually with three steals, as LCU had 10 as a team.
How it happened
The game was scoreless for the opening 3:22 before Foster drilled a 3-pointer to start the scoring. Foster’s trey helped LCU open up a 14-0 lead. The Golden Bears didn’t score until 37 seconds into the first quarter. LCU led 14-2 at the end of the quarter, with Foster responsible for eight of LCU’s 14 points.
Lubbock Christian held onto its first-quarter lead before going on a 5-0 run starting at the 7:26 mark of the second period to extend its lead to 19-4. Foster was 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the second quarter and had 10 points in the frame to help LCU take a 31-17 lead into the break. Foster was 11 of 11 from the line in the half and had 18 points.
KU cut LCU’s lead to 11 (38-27) with 3:39 left in the quarter, but the Lady Chaps responded by closing the quarter with an 8-0 run, capped by a Kenedy Chappell field goal with two seconds left the third quarter for a 46-27 lead. Maddox (2-of-3, 5 points) and Robertson (2-of-2, 6 points) combined to go 4-of-5 from the field for 11 points in the quarter. Leading 51-38 with 3:39 remaining, LCU grabbed an 8-0 insurance run to extend the lead to 59-38 with 1:43 to go in the contest. Lubbock Christian got a boost from its bench in the period, with non-starters scoring 12 of its 18 total points (11 different Lady Chaps appeared on the floor in the quarter).
Game notes
» Lubbock Christian had three-point success, knocking down eight treys in the game. LCU made at least eight 3-pointers in eight games last season
» The Lady Chaps held the Golden Bears to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field. KU (0-2) was led by Olivia Smelas, who led them in points (10 points) and rebounds (7).
» The Lady Chaps never trailed in the game. LCU had seven wins last season in which they led throughout.
» Lubbock Christian had a 38-28 advantage on the boards in the win. The +10 rebounding margin is their largest since posting a +16 (46-30) margin on February 11, 2023 against Eastern New Mexico.
» Grace Foster led the Lady Chaps with a game-high 21 points. She was 4 of 8 from the field and 12 of 13 from the free throw line. The 12 free throws made were one shy of a career high, and the 13 attempted matched a career high (her third career game with 13 free throws). The 12 free throws tied for fifth-most in a game by a Lady Chaps member since leaving the NAIA (2012-13) and the 13 attempts tied for eighth-most in the same time frame.
» Lubbock Christian had a game-best nine rebounds from both Audrey Spurgin and Kennedy Chapel. The mark was a career high for Spurgin and matched a career high for Chappelle.
» LCU improved to 2-0 all-time against Kutztown and both meetings were neutral site contests.
» The Lady Chaps are now 30-16 all-time in season openers and 14-8 under the head coach Steve Gomez in openers. In addition, LCU improved to 10-8 in their last 18 season openers and won their first season opener since defeating Montevallo (69-55) on November 5, 2021 in Billings, Montana, which was the first game in Foster’s career with LCU .
Next
LCU stays in Canyon Sunday and faces Black Hills State at 11 a.m. at First United Bank Center. Both teams will be 1-0 as BHSU defeated host West Texas A&M on Friday.