THE LEAD 
The DBU Men's Basketball Team won their first game of the Heartland Conference Tournament 90-62 over Texas -Permian Basin on Friday night at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Patriots saw five different players score in double figures, led by Joey Miller who poured in 18 points. Shannon Lilly and Patrick Burke each scored 14, while Tim Simmons pitched in 12, and Amari Bryant finished with 10 off the bench.
 

The two teams played a tightly contested first half and were tied at 13 with just over 10 minutes remaining before halftime. Both teams traded buckets for the next two minutes until a Joey Miller three pointer with 7:33 remaining gave DBU an 18-16 advantage. The Falcons would not draw closer for the remainder of the half.
 

Two Shannon Lilly free throws gave the Patriots an eight point lead, their largest of the game, with 3:20 to play before the break. UTPB cut the lead down to three with 1:22 remaining, but a Miller three and a Simmons layup, reestablished that 8 point advantage. After a Falcon layup on the next possession, it was Miller who gave the Patriots all the momentum when he drained a jumper just before the halftime horn to give DBU a 36-28 advantage heading into the locker room.
 

The Patriots offense wasted no time extending their lead and had their first double digit advantage less than 4 minutes into the second half, thanks to another Joey Miller jumper. With the Patriots up by nine points and 13:15 remaining in the game, DBU went on a 10-2 run to take a commanding 61-44 lead with 9:49 to play, prompting a UTPB timeout to try and solve the DBU hot shooting.
 

But on this night, there was no stopping the Patriot offensive attack. Two Jordan Pratt free throws with 7:53 left gave DBU their first 20 point lead of the night. That lead would swell to 28 points after Bryant dropped in two points from inside the paint with exactly 4:00 remaining. The Falcons would get no closer than 25 as the Patriots, thanks in part to 67% shooting in the second half, cruised to a 90-62 win to advance to the semifinals of the Heartland Conference Tournament.

DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE FIRST ROUND VICTORY 
"It was a great team effort today, especially on the defensive end. We moved the ball on offense and were very unselfish, but the difference in the game was defensively we were able to hold a top scoring team to well below their average. I'm really proud of the way we competed."

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
-The victory gave the Patriots their first win in the Heartland Conference Tournament since the 2009-2010 season and moved their all-time tournament record to 3-4.
-This was the third Patriot win over the Falcons this season. DBU won the previous two matchups 97-92 in Odessa and 97-93 in Dallas.
-UTPB came into the game averaging 81.8 points per game, DBU held them to their second lowest point total of the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
0 – The DBU defense held Second Team All-Heartland guard, Johnnie Lacy, scoreless on 0 of 5 shooting.
21 –Turnovers forced by the Patriots which also led to 21 points.  
23 –Bench points scored by the DBU reserves.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
The Patriots continue their journey in the Heartland Conference Tournament when they take on the Newman Jets in the semifinals on Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30.