THE RUNDOWN 
The Patriots stayed close with the Buffs throughout the afternoon, but ultimately had their 7-game win streak snapped in a 72-65 loss at the Burg Center on Saturday. DBU (13-7, 6-2) forced 17 turnovers, but West Texas A&M (18-4, 5-3) held a 41-29 advantage on the boards. Carson Hughes led all scorers with 17 (6-11 FG, 3-6 3PT) while bringing down 7 rebounds. Ricky Lujan (14 points) and Julian Miranda (10 points) also finished in double-figures. 

DBU struggled to connect from anywhere on the court in the opening frame, shooting 39 percent and just 4-15 from deep. Isaac Bullard provided a spark off the bench, chipping in 7 points in 8 first half minutes. Lujan attacked the basket looking to score often, and Hughes poured in each of his three triples to keep the Patriots within 6 at the break.

 Cameron Kahn scored all 8 of his points in the second half in an effort to bridge the gap, including hitting two free throws to narrow a double-digit deficit down to just five at 59-54 with 4:03 remaining. The Buffs responded with a quick 5-0 run, and the Patriots were unable to get closer than seven the rest of the way.

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
- DBU's seven game win streak is snapped, but the Patriots' 6-2 record in Lone Star play keeps coach Flickner's squad entrenched in the upper tier of the conference. 
- Carson Hughes recorded a career-high 4 steals.
-The Patriots continue to defend the perimeter well, holding the Buffs to 23.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE LOSS AND MOVING FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK 
"Right now our focus is on resting and getting our bodies right. We've had a tough week this week with four games in seven days. We just need to get our bodies back and get ready to focus on the next one."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
7 - Carson Hughes' 7 rebounds are a season high. 
10 – DBU shot just 10 percent (1-10) from deep in the second half.
9 – Isaac Bullard's 9 points are his second-highest scoring total this season; the redshirt freshman scored 12 points against East Central on November 17, 2021. 
.942 – The Patriots averaged .942 points per possession. 

UP NEXT 
DBU heads to Portales, New Mexico, to take on Eastern New Mexico on Thursday, February 3 at 8:00 p.m.