THE RUNDOWN 
Arkansas-Fort Smith outlasted the Patriots 81-78 in overtime action Saturday at the Burg Center. The day began with a special Senior Day ceremony to honor the careers of Julian Miranda, Abraham Makumator, and Alex Holcombe and ended with DBU's first and only overtime contest of the 2021-2022 regular season. Ricky Lujan (20 points) led a Patriots offense that scored four in double figures, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 30 point downpour from UAFS' Matthew Wilson. 

Julian Miranda (11 points, 6 assists) knocked down a three for the game's first basket. Abraham Makumator quickly answered with a 3-ball from the corner to ignite a packed crowd at the Burg. From that point, both teams were off to the races, swapping baskets with no side taking more than an eight-point lead. Miranda led the way for the Patriots in the first half. The veteran went 3-of-4 from downtown in the opening frame to help DBU attack a hyper Lions team. 

Down 38-33 at the half, Jalen White repeatedly forced his way inside to open the second, drawing contact to bring the Patriots back within one. Matthew Wilson poured on another 17 points in the second half, and both teams continued to trade punches. The Lions also received a scoring boost from Chris Rollins, the forward added 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to secure a double-double. 

Cameron Kahn (17 points, 8 rebounds) and Ricky Lujan began to attack the rim and whoever was standing in front of it to manufacture points in the final minutes. Lujan was fantastic at the free-throw line, going 5-for-6 on the day to tie the game at 70 with 0:40 remaining in regulation. A crucial steal from Austin Garner (14 points) would pick the pocket of Matthew Wilson and send the game to overtime. 

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
- The Patriots finish the season third in the LSC standings with an overall record of 17-10 and a conference mark of 10-5. 
- At 9-6, the Patriots close the regular season with a winning record at home for the ninth consecutive year. 
- A combined seven points have decided the last four meetings between DBU and UAFS. 
- Julian Miranda (398) is two assists away from becoming the second Patriot to reach the 400 mark. 

COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON ANOTHER BATTLE WITH UAFS
"We knew it would be a grind. Every game they play is close, win or lose. They don't lose possessions, they don't turn the ball over, and they move really well without the ball." 

ON THE SENIORS 
"This is a really special group. I was really excited to see Abe [ Abraham] make a shot today. I'm happy for him and Alex and Jules [Julian Miranda] who was on fire today...I feel bad that we couldn't get a win for those guys today, but they played their hearts out and left it all out there on the court."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
25 - Alex Holcombe earned the start and appeared in his 25th game for DBU. 
17 - The Patriots and Lions swapped the lead 17 times. 
84.2 - DBU shot 84.2% from the foul line. 

UP NEXT 
DBU awaits the start of the Lone Star Conference Tournament on March 1.