Box Score

The Dallas Baptist Patriot Basketball Team opened their 2013-2014 season, Saturday, with a nail-biting 78-77 loss to visiting East Texas Baptist University. The Patriots will look to bounce back with another home contest this Wednesday versus Dallas Christian College.
 
Saturday's game went to the half tied at 38, thanks in large part to 18 points for DBU's Jonathan Perry, including 9-of-9 from the free throw line. The Tigers spread the ball around well, with nine different players scoring in the first half, tallying 11 total assists.
 
The second half remained tight early, with the two clubs trading leads, before ETBU took a 73-65 lead with just under five minutes remaining. With DBU trailing by five with just over a minute remaining, Perry drilled a pair of free throws to cut the lead to three.
 
Neither team scored until the final seconds, when the Patriots were unable to convert a three-point attempt, settling for a put back with less than a second remaining, falling by the final of 78-77.
 
"I would have liked for us to kick that ball back out for another three," said DBU Head Coach Blake Flickner. "But instincts kick in sometimes and you go for that put back."
 
All totaled, Perry pitched in 28 points to lead all players. The sophomore also led the Patriots with eight rebounds. Myles Johnson was an outstanding 5-of-6 from behind the arc, totaling 15 points. Cory Carden added nine points, with Jason Gentry earning a team-best four assists.
 
Erby Thompson led ETBU with 20 points, followed by 11 from Junior Mitchell. Jamil Samuel grabbed eight boards to tie Perry for tops in the contest. The Tigers shot 40-percent from the field overall, compared to 33-percent for the home club. ETBU also won the battle of the boards, totaling 43 to the Patriots' 30.
 
"We have to work on being more aggressive on the glass," added Flickner. "They got a lot of second chance points and out-rebounded us as well."
 
DBU will next play host to Dallas Christian, Wednesday at 7 p.m., before taking to the road for games at East Central University and Texas A&M Commerce.