LCU back home to host St. Edward's
The Lubbock Christian University women's basketball team had the program's celebrated home win streak end two weeks ago at 113 games, a run compiled over 8 years and a month. With two weeks left in the regular season, the Lady Chaps already have more losses than in any of the previous five seasons.
Yet, they're right in the mix with nearly all their goals still attainable, the Lone Star Conference West Division title being the most immediate.
LCU (18-8, 13-5) hosts St. Edward's (13-13, 9-9) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the opener of a women's/men's doubleheader at the Rip Griffin Center.
At regular season's end, the LSC East and West division winners receive the top two seeds in the conference tournament. Though the Lady Chaps have only the fourth-best conference record, they lead the West with a 10-2 mark in division games, ahead of Angelo State (20-5) and West Texas A&M (18-8), which are 10-3 and 8-4, respectively, in the division.
LCU's only division losses are to Angelo State, and the Lady Chaps finish the regular season next week with two games in three days against West Texas A&M.
The LCU men (16-8, 12-6) take on their counterparts from St. Edward's (20-7, 14-4) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Hilltoppers are co-leading the LSC East with a 9-3 division record and have won five games in a row.
The Chaps are trying to bounce back from losses last week at Western New Mexico and Eastern New Mexico that knocked them off the pace that knocked them off the pace in the LSC West with a 7-5 division record.
It also narrowed their margin for error in making the Division II NCAA Tournament in March. Eight teams drawn from the Lone Star and Rocky Mountain Athletic conferences make up the tournament's South Central Region bracket.
THURSDAY'S AREA SCHEDULE
Women
St. Edward's (13-13, 9-9) at Lubbock Christian University (18-8, 13-5), 5:30 p.m.
No. 23 New Mexico Junior College (19-4, 8-2) at South Plains College (15-7, 9-0), 5:45 p.m.
No. 18 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma (22-4, 16-4) at Wayland Baptist (17-9, 13-7), 6 p.m.
Men
St. Edward's (20-7, 14-4) at Lubbock Christian University (16-8, 12-6), 7:30 p.m.
New Mexico Junior College (11-14, 4-7) at No. 16 South Plains College (20-5, 8-3), 7:30 p.m.
University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma (15-11, 8-3) at Wayland Baptist (20-6, 15-5), 8 p.m.
Softball
Lubbock Christian University's Maxine Valdez and Kasey Flores were named the Lone Star Conference pitcher and hitter of the week, respectively.
LCU went 6-0 in the Lubbock Sports College Invitational. Valdez, a senior righthander from Buda Hays, threw a one-hitter Friday in a 9-0 shutout of Emporia State and threw a no-hitter Saturday in an 8-0 victory against Chadron State. Both were five-inning games, shortened by run rule.
Flores, a senior from El Paso Eastlake, batted .500 for the week with a home run, three doubles and seven runs batted in.
The Lady Chaps (10-1) start conference play at home against No. 2 UT Tyler (7-1) with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Friday and a series finale at noon Saturday at Maner Park.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Area college roundup: LCU back home to host St. Edward's
