THE LEAD
The DBU Men's Basketball Team needed overtime to claim a 97-92 win over Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday in Odessa, Texas, as the Patriots won for the third straight time.  Tied at 81 apiece going into overtime, DBU (9-4, 3-2) scored the first 10 points before the Falcons hit their first bucket with 1:12 left on the clock, as the Patriots outscored UTPB (6-7, 1-4) 16-11 in overtime. 
 
Five different Patriots scored in double-digits on the afternoon, highlighted by Tim Simmons, who matched a career-high with a 24-point performance.  Simmons connected on 9-of-13 shots from the field and also pulled down a team-best seven rebounds in the win. 
 
In the first half, DBU opened up their largest lead of the game when Joey Miller's layup gave the Patriots a 32-18 advantage with 7:29 to play until halftime.  UTPB would mount a comeback over the final seven minutes, outscoring the Patriots 17-4 and pulling to within one point, as DBU took a 36-35 into the locker room at the break.
 
In the second half, the Falcons retained their momentum and stormed out on a 14-6 run in the first five-and-a-half minutes.  The Patriots bounced back with a run of their own and a layup by Jordan Gosey gave DBU back the lead with 10:50 to play. 

Tied at 66 with 5:18 remaining, an Amari Bryant three-pointer sparked an 8-1 Patriot run.  It would be one of four shots from beyond the arc that Bryant drained in the second half.

Leading 74-68 with just over three minutes on the clock, UTPB rallied to retake the lead when Johnnie Lacy hit a pair of free-throws.  Down by one point with 25 seconds to play, a three-point shot from by DBU's Simmons put the Patriots back up by one.  The Falcons would respond right back and tie the game at 81 on a shot in the paint by Gary Akbar with 13 seconds remaining.   A missed three-pointer by Shannon Lilly at the buzzer sent the game to overtime.

In the overtime period, DBU shot 5-of-8 from the field and were once again led by Simmons, who scored six of the Patriots 16 points.
 
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE TOUGHNESS THE TEAM SHOWED IN THE WIN
"Our guys showed toughness and made some good plays in clutch situations, especially in overtime.  Some different guys stepped up and really carried us through some big stretches in the second half.  It's always good to win on the road and it's never easy.  There were some good things to learn from today as we continue to grow as a team."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- After starting 0-2 in conference play, DBU has won three straight conference games.
- DBU has now eclipsed 90 points in eight of their nine wins this year.
- The Patriots are now a perfect 3-0 in 2016.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6 – Number of lead changes today between DBU and UTPB
10 – The Patriots connected on 10-of-30 shots from three-point range.
7 – Shannon Lilly dished out a game-high seven assists.
 
UP NEXT
DBU travels to Austin, Texas, to take on St. Edward's.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.