LUBBOCK, Texas (January 23, 2016) – A.J. Luckey of Lubbock Christian University was the catalyst in a 77-65 win over St. Edward’s with his first career double-double where the six-foot guard snared a career-best 16 rebounds and scored 17 points Saturday afternoon inside the Rip Griffin Center.

Isaac Cardona hit 8-of-9 from the field on his way to a team-high 21 points and Marcos Schuster added 12. The Chaps (12-6, 6-4 Heartland) hit 55-percent of their shots, including a 68-percent showing in the first half, compared to an overall 28-percent from the Hilltoppers (13-5, 6-4 Heartland). The Chaps gave up 15 offensive boards to St. Edward’s but got it done inside on the other end of the floor by outscoring the ‘Toppers by 20 in the paint.

Frankie Mgbolu of SEU recorded the first points of the contest, but Cardona went to work early in the lane by scoring two buckets and threw down a baseline dunk within the first two minutes for a two-point Chap advantage. A 15-5 LCU run pushed the Chaps in front, 21-9, at the 13:17 mark. A three-pointer by Hilltopper Sean Watkins closed SEU to within 22-17 midway through the half before a tip-in by Quinton Lilley cut the deficit to four.

The Chaps responded with a 10-0 run to pull ahead 36-22 with five minutes until the half. SEU’s John Gramlich then hit a three, Trey Lindsey converted an and-one and Gramlich knocked down two free throws for a 38-30 Chap halftime lead.

Seven straight points by LCU opened the second half for a 46-30 lead, the largest margin on the afternoon. Four Hilltopper free throws and a three by Aubrie King pulled the deficit to within single digits. A putback by Scout Teal and back-to-back layups by Schuster extended the lead to 15 with 15 minutes remaining.

King supplied the final five points of a 12-0 SEU run over the next five minutes to make it a one-possession game at 52-49. A Ridrell Holman jumper put the Chaps up by eight, but King again drained another three for a five-point contest with 7:44 to play and did the same two minutes later. Luckey hit a three from the right wing and a jump shot while Michael Grant sank two free throws for a 10-point Chap lead with two minutes on the clock. Gramlich hit a shot from deep to make it an eight-point game, but the Chaps made seven free throws in the final minute-and-a-half to wrap up the win.

For SEU, King tallied a game-high 22 points, Gramlich had 14 and Mgbolu contributed 10.

The Chaps travel to Oklahoma Panhandle State Thursday for a 7:30 tip-off.

Courtesy: LCU Sports Information Department