THE RUNDOWN
No. 23 DBU overcame a one-point deficit at the half to No. 13 UA Fort Smith and outscored the Lions by 17 points in the second half en route to a 76-60 win over UAFS.   DBU (14-2, 4-1) was led by Boy Van Vliet's game-high 27 points and a strong defensive effort that held the Lions (14-2, 3-3) to a season-low 34.5 shooting from the field.

In a first half that saw neither team open up a lead larger than six points, DBU went into the break, down 35-34.  A layup by Van Vliet just 22 seconds into the second half gave the Patriots back a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

With DBU holding a 44-43 advantage with 13:11 left to play, the Patriots went on an 11-1 run over the next three minutes to open up a 10-point lead.  UAFS would never pull closer than eight points, as DBU's 2-3 zone stymied the Lions offense, holding them to just 24 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. 

A Connor Lidiak three-pointer with 23 seconds remaining gave DBU their largest lead at 18 points, as the Patriots eventually closed out a 16-point victory.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU's win over UAFS keeps the Patriots in first place atop the Heartland Conference standings.
- The Patriots held Darrion Strong-Moore, the fifth leading scorer in the Heartland, to just five points.
- The Patriots have won 19 consecutive games at home and are 34-6 at the Burg Center over the past three seasons.
 
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE EFFORT THAT LEAD TO A WIN OVER UAFS
"I thought in the second half we were more aggressive.  Connor and Boy both made some huge shots and that opened things up a little bit.  On the other end, the zone was effective and we defended their first shot really well all night."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
50 - DBU shot 50 percent (22-for-44) from the field in the win.
14 - The Patriots held the Lions' top two scorers, Darrion Strong-Moore and Devaunta Thomas, to just 14 points.
4 - Connor Lidiak went 4-for-5 from three-point range.
 
UP NEXT
DBU travels to Oklahoma City to face Oklahoma Christian on Thursday.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.