MEDIA COVERAGE
Live Video/Audio: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Live Stats: DBU Livestats

OPENING TIP – The Dallas Baptist Men's Basketball Team returns to the court for its last home stand of the 2013-14 season. Three games, including a pair of top-three ranked Heartland Conference foes, will be played in the confines of the Burg Center beginning on Thursday. Meeting DBU on the hardwood that night will be Arkansas-Fort Smith, a strong contender for first place in the Heartland Standings entering one game out behind Texas A&M International. Tip-off is slated for 7 PM.
 
The Patriots (8-12, 5-8) are seeking one final push with five conference contests remaining and are in the hunt for the final Heartland Tournament seed. The top four teams are eligible to qualify for the postseason and DBU sits in sixth just two games out from nabbing the fourth seed.

LAST TIME ON THE HARDWOOD – The Patriots earned another huge victory on the road to finish the trip 2-2 following a 77-70 result at Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday. DBU needed this win to keep the Falcons within reach, who now are 6-5 in Heartland action and are the team to beat for the final seed. The triumph for the visiting squad also builds resilience after falling two-days prior by its largest margin of the campaign at 22 points.
 
Redshirt sophomore, Jonathan Perry, poured in a team-high 20 points, eclipsing the mark in seven contests now. Senior, Remy Ndiaye, joined the scoring team leader with 16 points and a team-best eight rebounds. The Patriots were effective in sharing the ball, recording 16 assists in the victory, which was the highest the squad accomplished in their previous six games when they matched the feat. Senior, Cory Carden led the group dishing out a season-high five assists.
 
DBU was in a back-and-forth affair most of the early going, but eventually Ndiaye's layup with 1:21 remaining in the first half put the Patriots up 35-31 and would stand going into the locker room.
 
Out of the break, the road team never relinquished the lead, despite the Falcons pulling within one on three separate occasions. With the Patriots up 55-52 and just under seven minutes to play, Ndiaye was clutch again, this time beyond the three-point line to double DBU's advantage. After UTPB pulled within five, Perry sank a trifecta of his own to seal the contest, and the Falcons never trailed closer to six the rest of the affair.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH – Perry continues to be the leading scorer on the squad with 357 points and climbs to second in the Heartland Conference for total points. The Kerrville, Texas, native entered his fourth consecutive week tops in the league with 17.9 points averaged per game (ppg). He also is shooting well from the charity stripe, boasting the second highest percentage in the conference with an 84.9 clip.
 
The forward has claimed 18 double-digit scoring performances in 20 games on the campaign, while extending a season-long 10 games in a row to notch the feat. In his second season, Perry continues to impress as he has boasted 20 or more points in seven contests, including his record-breaking 47 points versus Southeastern Oklahoma State.
 
Ndiaye continues to be a force inside the post for the Patriots. The native of Dakar, Senegal has poured in 230 points to claim second on the squad behind Perry. The forward has been particularly solid at home, notching nine of his 11 double-digit scoring performances on the season.
 
On the latest season-long, five-game home stint, Ndiaye boasted double figures in four of the affairs, coming up short a point in the lone one he missed. The senior has been sharp when he shoots, boasting a 63-percent shooting average from the floor, which is highest in the Heartland. His career-best mark has been set twice this campaign, with the current one being 27 points versus Texas-Permian Basin. DBU is 7-4 when Ndiaye posts a double-digit affair and have won four of the last five he achieves the feat.

SCOUTING THE LIONS – UAFS (17-4, 10-3) enters on a two-game winning streak after knocking off St. Mary's 82-71. The Lions have had an excellent campaign so far, but are 6-3 on the road, while being undefeated at the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, 11-0.
 
In Saturday's victory, Seth Youngblood paced a quartet of UAFS players in double figures with 19 points. Jake Toupal was close behind with 17 contributed in the win. Xavier McClish added 12 points, and Alex Cooper chipped in 10 from the bench.
 
Youngblood and Toupal are the team's leading scorings on the year averaging 14.1 apiece. Tramel White and Kenny Martin have been nice role players as well averaging 12.4 and 10.6 ppg, respectively.
 
The Lions are averaging 84.1 ppg as a team while surrendering a 73.1 clip for a positive 11.0 margin on the scoreboard. This ranks them third in the Heartland Conference, and UAFS is also second in scoring offense. Another top three ranking for Arkansas-Fort Smith is field goal percentage, averaging just under 50-percent behind Lubbock Christian and A&M International.
 
UAFS does hold a top three spot in several Heartland categories including: rebounding offense, assists, and blocked shots. The Lions do rank top of the league in three-point field goal percentage defense with a 30-percent clip.
 
Dallas Baptist is a team that ranks second in the league in three-pointers made at 167 and averages 8.4 a game, also good enough for second place.    
 
SERIES HISTORY – Both programs first met in history back in 2009. DBU trails in the All-time series now, going 4-5 against the Lions in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The teams entered the year 4-4, but UAFS claimed the first meeting a little over a month ago 74-56. That was during DBU's season-long, six-game slide, and the young squad has improved recently playing better basketball. The Patriots will also be in the Burg Center, where they have played well most of the season.
 
In the match-up earlier this season, sophomore, Charles Allen, and Perry led the team tossing in 15 and 14 points each, respectively. DBU was outshot 56-percent to 37-percent, as a trio of Lions scored double-digits in the setback. Toupal led UAFS with a game-high 16 points.  
 
WORTH NOTING
The Patriots play three games in the Burg Center over a five day stretch.
DBU has been successful in the home confines, going 6-6 so far this season.
Turnover margin continues to be a strength for the Patriots, as they come in third in the Heartland again this week with a positive 2.10 margin. DBU forces 15.2 on its opponents while committing a 13.1 clip themselves.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE – Dallas Baptist continues its busy weekend on Feb. 15, as the Patriots face Heartland Conference foe, Rogers State, at 2 PM. Next Monday, Feb. 17, the contest will feature a non-conference opponent, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, ending a string of 13-straight Heartland foes opposing DBU. Tip is scheduled for 7 PM. Following the trio of home games, the Patriots will conclude their season with three away contests in a row.