Men’s Basketball | 12.12.2025


Story Links


NO. 4 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (9-0, 3-0)
at CAMERON (3-6, 0-3)
Saturday, December 13 – 3 p.m.
Aggie Gym (Lawton, Oklahoma)
 
TIPOFF
Lubbock Christian is still unbeaten on the season and will try to keep that perfect record in tact when they take on Cameron at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the Aggie Gym. LCU’s 9-0 record is their best to start a season since 2021, when they were 20-0 to begin the year. The previous record was 16-0, set by the 2020-21 squad, but before that, the best start to a season was 10-0, done by the 1996-97 squad that finished 15-11 overall. Lubbock Christian is one of just two teams in all of Division II with both their men’s and women’s basketball teams both undefeated, joining Nova Southeastern.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN

For the second-straight week, the Chaps find themselves inside the top five in the National Association of Basketball Coaches National Top-25 poll. They sit at fourth again this week, with no movement inside the top five. It is their highest ranking since the 2021-22 season, when they reached No. 1 overall for eight straight weeks. Lubbock Christian is the only school in the nation with both its men’s and women’s teams ranked in the top five nationally. St. Mary’s (7) West Texas A&M and St. Edward’s (14) are the other LSC teams in the rankings.
 
IN THEIR DEFENSE
The Chaps limited Oklahoma Christian to just 67 points on Thursday, marking the fifth time this season they have held an opponent below the 70-point mark. Overall this season, LCU is allowing just 65.3 points per game, which ranks No. 27 in the nation. Chap opponents are shooting just 41.3 percent from the field, including just 28.9 percent from behind the arc. Twice this season, LCU has held an opponent below 60 points in a game, including last week’s win against UT Permian Basin.
 
SHARP-SHOOTERS
As a team, LCU now shooting 50.5 on the season, which ranks 15th in the nation and leads the conference. Lubbock Christian is ranked even higher – 10th  nationally – in Effective FG%, which is a statistic that adjusts field goal percentage to account for the fact that three-point field goals count for three points, while all other field goals only count for two points. Their EFG% so far this season is .589. Antonio Pusateri leads the team in field goal percentage at .563, and Amondo Miller Jr. is also shooting better than 55 percent this season.
 
BEYOND THE ARC
LCU’s efficiency extends all the way out past the three-point line, where their 44.0 percent shooting ranks second in all of Division II. Miller Jr. leads the team, shooting 51.4 percent from behind the arc, but does not have enough attempts to qualify for the conference or national leaderboards. Dow does though, leading the league and ranking No. 12 nationally with a .500 three-point percentage. LCU matched a program record with 20 made three-pointers – including 12 in the second half – earlier this season against Fort Lewis. The Chaps have shot better than 50 percent from behind the arc three times this season, including a season-high 64.7 percent on Nov. 2 against Augusta.
 
HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
Strong shooting performances, combined with their elite ability to share the ball has made the Chaps one of the top offenses in the LSC so far this year. LCU ranks second in the league in assists per game with 17.2. Combined with their 10.7 turnovers per game, which are the third-fewest in the conference, Lubbock Christian boasts an assist to turnover ratio of 1.61, which is the ninth-best in the country and leads the LSC. Dow leads the team with 31 assists, but Lucas Mercandino, Miller Jr. and Leo Nordborg all have at least 25 as well.
 
AWARD CENTRAL
Lubbock Christian University junior forward Antonio Pusateri was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday afternoon. This is the fourth time this season that a Chaparral has been recognized with a weekly LSC award, including the second time for one to claim DPOW honors. Pusateri pulled down 18 defensive rebounds, blocked four shots and averaged a double-double to help lead the No. 4-ranked Chaps to a pair of conference wins over UT Permian Basin and Angelo State.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Although they have played away from home a number of times this season, the Chaps have only two true road games under their belt, including Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City. Every other contest this season has been at a neutral site or in the Rip Griffin Center. They are averaging 82.0 points per game in their two road contests on 49.6 percent shooting. Last year, the Chaparrals were 10-3 in road contests.
 
SCOUTING THE AGGIES


Cameron is averaging 80.1 points per game, which ranks in the top half of the conference, but they are allowing 88.2 points per game, which is the worst in the league
Jordan Mitchell leads the team and ranks third in the LSC in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting
Nathan Kennedy is in his first season leading the Cameron men’s basketball team, after most recently serving as an assistant at Arkansas Tech
CU averages 15.9 turnovers per game, which is the worst mark in the conference
Michael Jones is second in the LSC in field goal percentage, shooting 56.8 percent from the field

 
THE SERIES WITH THE AGGIES
Lubbock Christian and Cameron have an all-time series dating back to 1973, but have met only 22 times on the hardwood overall. Cameron dominated the series in the 20th century, winning the first nine matchups. Since then, LCU has been in control though, winning 11 of the last 13 meetings, including each of the last five. The Aggies’ last win against the Chaps came in 2022, when they won 89-84 in overtime in Lawton to hand LCU one of just four losses it suffered that season.
Â