While Lubbock Christian entered Thursday’s LSC Championship as the three-seed, they’re also the top-ranked team in the South Central Region. And the Chaps looked every bit like a team seeking to host next week’s regional.

But they have to take care of business first in Frisco, where eventually dominated Angelo State, 91-65 Thursday at Comerica Center in the quarterfinal round.

Playing in its first season of the LSC, the Chaps looked right at home against the Rams, drilling 13 3-pointers. LCU improves to 26-3 and will play Saturday afternoon in the semifinals against the winner of West Texas A&M/St. Edward’s. LCU likely has to win the tournament this weekend to keep the top spot in the region.

The Rambelles (18-10) will now wait for an at-large bid to the South Central Regional. Currently, ASU ranks seventh and will look to remain in the eight-team field.

On Thursday, it looked as if ASU would have a shot for the upset. In the second quarter, LCU led 27-15 before a 12-0 run by the Rambelles tied the game with 4:07 left before the half. That’s when the Chaps went back to work, finishing the half on a 15-4 spurt, thanks to 10 points from Caitlyn Cunyas and five from her sister Channing.

In the third quarter, it was more of the same for the Chaps, who made three 3-pointers, including two from Madelyn Turner, who also opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. The Chaps actually outscored ASU 21-0 from late in the third to midway in the fourth quarter, pushing a 63-48 lead to 84-48

LCU’s Maddi Chitsey, the newly-crowned LSC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, left the game in the third quarter with a left knee injury. She returned briefly early in the fourth and finished the game with four points and five rebounds. After the game, head coach Steve Gomez applauded Chitsey’s toughness said “I’m sure she’ll be ready for Saturday.”

But against ASU, the Chaps got plenty of other help, led by Turner, who had a career-high 18 points. Caitlyn Cunyas scored 17 points, while Ashton Duncan had 11 and Allie Schulte added 10 points.

ASU’s De’Anira Moore, a first-team All-LSC selection, scored 26 points for the Rambelles.

LCU Notes:

• LCU’s 91 points scored is the second-highest output of the season and the most since scoring 94 on Jan. 4 against UTPB.
• LCU had a 21-0 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to push the lead to 38 points.
• Caitlyn Cunyas recorded her 300^th career assist in the second quarter, passing to her sister, Channing on a layup.
• The Chaps defeated ASU in both meetings in the regular season, winning in December by 11 in San Angelo and then by 17 at home on Jan. 11. 
• In their first season in the LSC, the Lady Chaps are looking to become the 12^th program to win the LSC Championship title.
• Maddi Chitsey became the first player in LSC history to win the Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year in the same season. Chitsey surpassed 1,000 career points this season, and now has 1,311 points.
• Freshman Whitney Cox came off the bench to score four points in the fourth quarter. Cox is a co-recipient of this year’s Pat Summitt Courage Award presented by the USBWA, alongside her sister, Lauren Cox.

 
ASU Notes:

• De’Anira Moore surpassed the 1,000-point mark earlier this season. With 26 points on Thursday, she now has 1,309 points.
• Catara Samuel, a third-team All-LSC pick, had 13 points and six rebounds.
• Angelo State ranks second in LSC Championship with 31 all-time tournament victories.