From RSU Sports Information
LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 15 Rogers State couldn’t overcome the sharp shooting of No. 1-ranked Lubbock Christian in a Saturday afternoon Sooner Athletic Conference women’s basketball showdown inside the Rip Griffin Center.
The NAIA’s top-ranked team set a single game school record shooting 64 percent from the field, including an incredible 77.8 percent inside the three point arc.
After allowing the Lady Chaps to build a 12 point advantage in the opening six minutes of play the Hillcats slowly chipped away at the deficit. RSU took its second and final lead of the game on a Leah Smith lay-in with 2:16 left in the first half. At the break LCU held a 47-43 advantage over the Cats.
LCU continued its sharpshooting ways in the second half building a lead of nine points just five minutes into the game. The Lady Chaps then went on a 17-4 run over the next four minutes to push ahead 75-53. Coach Roxanne Long’s squad would trim the Lady Chaps lead down to a 15 point deficit twice in the final 11:18 of play but LCU held on for the 100-78 victory.
Emily Atkins led all scorers with 23 points as the LCU junior connect on 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Haley Burton hit five three-pointers, three of which came in the first stanza, as she finished with 22 points. Nicole Hampton rounded out the trio of Lady Chaps scorers that reached the 20-point plateau as she recorded 22 points with 13 boards. Lubbock Christian(20-1, 7-1) shot 68 percent from the field in the second half alone and drilled 67 percent from long distance.
Smith led RSU with 15 points while Logan Froese tallied 14 points. Kelby Fritz kept the Hillcats in the first half with 13 points but was held scoreless in the second period. The Hillcats shot 45 percent from the field including 41 percent from three-point
Rogers State (16-6, 6-2) returns to action a week from today on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. on the road versus Oklahoma Baptist.
Steven Braun is the Sports Information Director at Rogers State University.