THE RUNDOWN
The DBU Basketball team edged out Colorado Mesa for a gritty 67-66 victory early Saturday afternoon in Lakewood, Colorado. The Patriots (2-0) relied on big minutes and aggressive defense from the guard position to overcome a shortened bench rotation and an inefficient performance from the foul line. DBU's 46 percent shooting from the charity stripe was compensated by 22 points off 19 Maverick turnovers. Offensively, Chandler Jacobs and Tylan Dean combined for 28 points while Carter Brown distributed a game-high five assists.

The first half of action featured 13 lead changes between the two squads. The Patriots struggled from three with a 3-14 performance but would compensate with an intense defensive effort, forcing the Mavericks into difficult shots and 33 percent shooting from the field. It took a collective approach offensively to earn the 31-30 halftime lead, with six different Patriots recording a bucket and none in double figures.

The second half showcased the Patriots conditioning and mental toughness as the minutes began to pile on. In total, four Patriots played over 30 minutes with Carter Brown and Conner Lidiak logging 36 and 35 minutes respectively. The senior guards put forth an outstanding defensive effort down the stretch. Lidiak and Brown clogged CMU's passing lanes and generated 7 of the Maverick's 16 turnovers. Brown took a critical charge with 36 seconds remaining to help seal the Patriots' 67-66 victory.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots are now .500 (3-3) all time against Colorado Mesa
- DBU opens the season 2-0 for the second time in the last 11 years.
- Chandler Jacob's 13-point performance gives him 1,030 career points and eighth place on the program's all-time scoring list.

HEAD COACH BLACK FLICKNER ON THE WIN
"I thought we did a good job of staying in front of the ball and I think we are fortunate to come away with the win. We're really proud to come out of this tournament 2-0, you know we haven't done that in this conference challenge very often and it's a pretty good start."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4- DBU's ball distribution lead to four different Patriots scoring in double figures.
40- The Patriot defense has scored 40 points off opponent turnovers in only two games.
13- The Patriot bench outscored the Maverick's bench 13-6 and proved critical in the narrow victory.
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots are back in action Thursday, November 14th on the road versus Ouachita Baptist at 7:30 p.m.