LAS VEGAS – The Western Washington University men's basketball team gave the No. 1 nationally-ranked team in the nation all they could handle Saturday night in Las Vegas.
 
But lady luck was not on the Vikings side with top-ranked Lubbock Christian riding a hot-shooting performance and a strong second-half surge for an 84-74 victory over WWU to conclude the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at South Point Arena.
 
The game featured 15 lead changes and seven tie scores, with WWU having a slight advantage holding the lead for 18:48, compared to 18:38 for Lubbock Christian.
 
WWU completed a rigorous non-conference schedule with a 7-3 mark and are 7-4 overall heading into the 17 remaining games in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. LCU improved to 12-0 overall pulling away late for the 10-point victory to remain undefeated.
 
The game was tied 42-42 at the half and the Vikings held a six-point lead at 56-50 following a 12-3 run with just over 16 minutes remaining in the game. The Chaps continued to answer any big momentum shifts by the Vikings, using a 19-8 run over six minutes to pull ahead 69-64 with nine minutes left.
 
WWU pulled to within three points at 73-70 following a 3-pointer by Daniel Hornbuckle with 7:20 remaining, but were held to just two field goals the rest of the way to fall just short of the upset victory.
 
Lubbock Christian shot 58.8% for the game from the field (30-for-51) and were 6-for-13 from 3-point range and 18-for-20 from the free throw line.
 
WWU shot 45.5% (25-for-55) and were 10-for-24 (41.7%) from beyond the arc (also 14-for-17 FT).
 
Hornbuckle led the Vikings with 22 points on 7-for-13 shooting, connecting on five 3-pointers. The junior guard has scored in double-digits in 10 of 11 games in his first season for WWU after transferring from Portland Community College. Jalen Green and RJ Secrest added 12 points each and D'Angelo Minnis scored 10 points.
 
LCU was led by a game-high 25 points from Lloyd Daniels on 7-for-12 shooting. All-American Parker Hicks, a transfer from Texas Tech, scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half.
  In a game that featured 15 lead changes and seven tie scores, it was an 8-0 run by Lubbock Christian that proved to be the ultimate momentum shift in an evenly-played contest. WWU gained a 64-61 lead on a Daniel Hornbuckle 3-pointer with 11:12 remaining in the second half, but the Chaps regained the lead for the final time with an 8-0 run and never trailed the rest of the game in the 84-74 victory.
  The first half featured six tie scores and 11 lead changes, resulting in a 42-42 tie through the first 20 minutes of action. The Vikings built a seven-point lead at 26-19 by going on a 13-3 run over a 5:26 stretch. LCU answered with a 16-5 spurt to grab a 38-34 lead with 3:36 remaining in the half. WWU scored eight of the final 12 points of the half with a key four-point play by Lucas Holden. The Chaps had the ball looking for a score in their final possession, but D'Angelo Minnis recorded a steal and RJ Secrest hit a buzzer-beater jump shot to tie the game 42-42. Daniel Hornbuckle led the Vikings with 11 points on 3-for-4 shooting, with Jalen Green, Holden and Secrest each scoring six points. WWU shot 50.0% (14-for-28) and was 5-for-13 from 3-point range. Lubbock Christian was led by 13 points from Lloyd Daniels and 11 points by Rowan Mackenzie. The Chaps shot 61.9% (13-for-21) in the first half.
  The Vikings (7-4) has wrapped up the non-conference portion of the 2021-22 schedule and will play the remaining 17 games in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. WWU takes next week off for the holiday break and returns to the court with road games at Central Washington (Dec. 30) and Northwest Nazarene (Jan. 1). All home games will stream live on Vikings TV and feature live statistical updates, with road games also featuring live coverage with direct links at wwuvikings.com/Live.
  Here is a look at the scores from the 2021 Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at South Point Arena:
 
Friday, December 17:

• #4 West Texas A&M 59, Montana State Billings 57
• #1 Lubbock Christian 77, Rollins 60
• WWU 60, Lindenwood 58

 
Saturday, December 18:

• Montana State Billings 59, Rollins 40
• #4 West Texas A&M 88, Lindenwood 59
• #1 Lubbock Christian 84, Western Washington 74

  The complete 2021-22 WWU Men's Basketball Schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/21-22_MBB, complete with links to purchase tickets and live coverage links for webcast and live stats.
  One of the premier basketball programs in NCAA Division II, WWU has recorded a 20-win season in eight of the last 11 seasons. WWU is a six-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion and has appeared in the NCAA II Elite 8 three times. The Vikings won the 2011-12 NCAA Division II National Championship and advanced the following season to the NCAA II Final Four. Western has 20-win seasons in three of the last four years (and seven of nine) and won the 2020 GNAC Championships Tournament. WWU is the 12th winningest Division II program with its 1,521 all-time victories.