Box Score

The DBU Patriot Basketball Team opened conference play, Thursday, holding off a furious comeback attempt and earning a 61-59 win over visiting Lubbock Christian University. The Patriots have now won three consecutive games, standing at 4-3, 1-0 in Heartland play.
 
The Patriots jumped on top early, rattling off an 11-0 run after LCU scored the opening basket. The Chaps countered with an 8-0 run, pulling within one at 11-10. Defense took over for DBU from that point, as the home club held a potent Chaps offense to just 10 points in the final 11:54, entering halftime with a 35-20 lead.
 
An inspired Lubbock Christian club opened the second frame on an 11-2 run, quickly cutting the Patriot lead to six. DBU extended their lead back to double digits and held it the majority of the rest of the half, before the Chaps mounted a late comeback, tying the game at 57 with less than two minutes remaining.  An exciting final 1:54 saw Dallas Baptist outscore the visiting club 4-2, with the Patriots surviving an LCU three-point attempt as time expired, holding off the comeback attempt and completing the 61-59 win.
 
"Our defense played well tonight," said DBU Head Coach Blake Flickner. "They made some good halftime adjustments and played well in the second half. We expect to see a lot of one, two, three point games throughout the conference schedule. Everyone will compete and go on runs like tonight."
 
Wesley Gipson led the way for the Patriots, scoring a game-high 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting off the bench. Remy Ndiaye shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, scoring 16 points and tying for a team-high seven rebounds. Charles Allen also pulled down seven boards, with Jonathan Perry pitching in three steals.  For Lubbock Christian (4-2, 0-1), AJ Luckey and Eli Baker each tossed in 14 points to lead the team. Baker also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, adding three steals and a pair of blocks. The Chaps struggled from the field, especially in the first half (25-percent), shooting 36-percent overall.
 
DBU shot a solid 55-percent in the first frame, finishing at 45-percent overall. The Chaps won the battle of the boards, 35-27, including 13 on the offensive glass. Each club committed 17 turnovers.
 
Thursday's game was the first of a three-game home stand, with the Patriots returning to The Burg Center, Saturday at 2 p.m., to host the University of Texas-Permian Basin in Heartland Conference play. DBU will host Texas A&M-Commerce, Monday at 4 p.m., for a non-conference contest, which was rescheduled due to last weekend's weather.