No. 1 LCU improves to program-best 17-0 with win over St. Edward's

Aamer Muhammad poured in 26 points and No. 1 Lubbock Christian University pulled away from a halftime tie to beat St. Edward's 87-60 Thursday night in Lone Star Conference basketball at the Rip Griffin Center.

LCU (17-0, 5-0) established a program record for best start to a season, breaking the mark of 16-0 that most of the same players set last season. That team finished 18-3.

Lloyd Daniels and Parker Hicks scored 21 and 16 points for the Chaparrals, followed by Rowan Mackenzie with nine points and Jalen Brattain with eight points and eight rebounds.

After being tied 35-35 at halftime, Muhammad went off for 15 points in the second half and Daniels for 12. The Chaps shot 69 percent from the field for the half and 55 percent for the game.

Uche Dibiamaka and Luke Pluymen scored 16 points apiece for St. Edward's (8-8, 2-4).

Daniel Venzant, the conference's second-leading scorer at 18.4 points per game, managed only one point in 21 minutes while shooting 0 for 8 from the field. The senior guard from Midland Christian did have six assists.

LCU was scheduled to host St. Mary's on Saturday, but that game has been postponed because of COVID protocols.

SPC women 95

Odessa 57

ODESSA — Ashala Moseberry scored 18 points and was one of six South Plains College players to reach double digits as the Lady Texans pounded Odessa College, staying unbeaten in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.

South Plains (12-5, 6-0) has a one-game lead in the WJCAC on Midland College (14-4, 5-1). The two teams play at 5:45 p.m. Monday at the Chaparral Center in Midland.

Lala Niankan scored 21 points for Odessa (4-14, 1-5), which lost its third game in a row.

Viktoria Ivanova scored 15 points for South Plains, 10 coming in the second quarter when the Lady Texans outscored the Lady Wranglers 33-7 to build a 51-23 halftime lead.

Raija Todd and Vitoria Carvalho finished with 14 points apiece for South Plains, followed by Celia Sumbane with 12 and Matilda Soderlund with 10.

Odessa men 92

South Plains 63

ODESSA — Daniss Jenkins had 17 points and eight rebounds as No. 18 Odessa College opened a two-game lead in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference by beating South Plains College, its closest pursuer.

Dontrell Hewlett and Daniel Rivera scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Odessa (16-5, 7-0), which increased its cushion on South Plains (11-8, 5-2).

WJCAC player of the week Kieves Turner scored 13 points for the Texans. Turner was scoreless, however, until the 14:22 mark of the second half, when he made a 3-point goal that cut the deficit to 60-38. In the previous four games, the freshman guard had scored 30, 34, 25 and 34 points.

Malek Abdelgowad and Savion Gallion added 12 and 10 points, respectively, for South Plains.

The Wranglers outrebounded the Texans 43-24, which led to a 48-10 advantage on points in the paint.

MACU women 83

Wayland Baptist 74

OKLAHOMA CITY — Presley Payahsape scored 18 points, Sydney Wycoff followed with 17 and Mid-America Christian knocked off No. 9 Wayland Baptist, tightening the top of the Sooner Athletic Conference standings.

Mid-America Christian (17-2, 10-2) won its eighth game in a row and ended a four-game win streak by Wayland (19-3, 11-2). MACU and Texas Wesleyan (16-2, 10-2) trail leader Wayland by one-half game in the SAC race.

The Flying Queens got 21 points and seven rebounds from Kaylee Edgemon, 16 points from Canton Moreno and 14 points and seven assists from Jenna Cooper. Angel Hayden had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Ossyana Ozoani chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds, and Lexi Hernandez was next with 11 points and seven rebounds.

MACU took the lead for good early in the second half and led by 70-58 in the fourth quarter.

Wayland visits Southwestern Christian (10-7, 5-6) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Bethany, Oklahoma.

Wayland men 62

MACU 57

OKLAHOMA CITY — R.J. Mason scored 26 points, including three late free throws that put Wayland Baptist ahead for good in a victory over Mid-America Christian.

Wayland (10-10, 6-7) trailed 57-56 when Mason went to the foul line with 1:03 left and made all three shots. He added two more free throws with 14 seconds to go that made it 61-57.

Terrance Jones and Isaiah Hammons scored 14 points apiece for MACU (11-9, 4-8), which led 47-38 inside of nine minutes to go. From that point on, Mason scored 13 points and Parrish Hewitt had seven of his 16.

Wayland plays at Southwestern Christian (9-5, 7-4) at 3:45 p.m. Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Basketball: No. 1 LCU improves to program-best 17-0 with win over St. Edward's