THE RUNDOWN
DBU (9-4, 4-1 LSC) returned from a nearly two-week break with a win against the UAFS Lions (6-6, 2-4 LSC) in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Carson Hughes' 17 points is the most the fifth-year senior has scored since last season (February 5 vs. Lubbock Christian).
 
Cameron Kahn and Carson Hughes teamed up to catalyze the Patriot offense, scoring the team's first nine points. UAFS responded with a 7-point surge of its own to narrow the gap to 3, but DBU answered with 11 unanswered points. The back-and-forth play remained for the rest of the half, and the Patriots walked into the locker room with the 32-25 lead as both teams shot below 20% from beyond the arc in the half.
 
The Lions kept the Patriots at bay early in the second half, holding the margin to nine points five minutes into the frame. The duo of Kahn and Hughes once again provided the offensive spark with a layup and a three-pointer for DBU to stretch the lead to as many 19. UAFS once again brought the game back into contention with a 14-4 run that shrunk the deficit back to single digits, 65-56. For the last four minutes of the game, the Patriots restrain the Lions from gaining the momentum needed to mount a comeback, and DBU walked away with its eighth victory in nine games.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- With a signature corner three in the second half, Carson Hughes scored his 1,000th career point, making him just the 10th Patriot ever to reach the millennial mark.
- Four Patriots scored in double figures (Hughes, Ta'Jay Dunlap, Cameron Kahn, and Ricky Lujan).
- Kahn earned his first double-double of the year with 22 points and 11 rebounds, both season-highs.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6 - DBU committed only six turnovers on Friday night, its fewest in six seasons.
43 - The Patriots shot better than 43% from the field in both halves.
82 - DBU converted 82% of its free throws, its best mark of the season.

BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE PRODUCTION FROM KAHN AND HUGHES
"Really proud of our team effort tonight. Cam played with great energy tonight and was a force on the boards against a very physical team. It doesn't all show in the box score, but Carson did a great job defensively tonight. We kept our heads through some tough play and foul trouble. Really proud of how we handled that adversity."
 
UP NEXT
The Patriots stay on the road for a New Year's Day tangle with Oklahoma Christian. Game time is 3:00 pm on Sunday.
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