THE RUNDOWN 
DBU fell to No. 22 Black Hills State, 76-68, in the South Central Regional Quarterfinals on Saturday. Ricky Lujan (18 points) and Cameron Kahn (14 points) led the way for the Patriots, but 25 points from BHSU's Joel Scott sent the Yellow Jackets (23-7) to the semifinals and brings DBU's season to a close. 

The Patriots (17-12) swarmed the Yellow Jackets early, holding them to 26% shooting in the first half to jump out to a 22-9 lead. However, BHSU stomached the early run and spent the remainder of the first half chipping away at the deficit. Late three-pointers pulled the Yellow Jackets back within striking distance, and a deep off-balanced triple from Adam Mousa would cut DBU's lead to 29-27 at the break. 

Joel Scott would score 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half. The forward shrugged off a slow start and finished the day with nine rebounds while shooting 58% from the floor. Lujan and Kahn countered with a combined 22 points in the final 20 minutes. A Carson Hughes jump shot pulled DBU within five with under a minute to play, but BHSU used the free-throw line to keep the Patriots at bay. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
-Julian Miranda (405) joins Carter Brown (442) as the second Patriot in program history to surpass 400 assists.
-DBU finishes the year 2-2 against top 25 opponents 
- Black Hills State advances to face No. 16 West Texas A&M in the semifinals on Sunday

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
103 - Redshirt fifth-year senior Julian Miranda's career comes to an end after 103 games in a Patriot uniform. 
7 - Austin Garner tied his career-high with seven rebounds. 
12.4 - Cameron Kahn averaged a career-best 12.4 points per game during his sophomore campaign. 

COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE SEASON
"We got to give Black Hills a lot of credit. The way they closed the first half on a run swung the momentum and gave them confidence. Unfortunately, in the second half, we couldn't find that same spark. But that is a credit to their team. They have been one of the most efficient offenses in the country all year." 

ON THE 2021-2022 PATRIOTS 
"I'm proud of the way this group handled adversity this year. To be back in the NCAA Tournament for the 5th straight season is something to be very proud of. Our journey didn't end the way we would have liked, but that is true in life. We'll hurt from this today, but when we can step away and see the big picture, there is so much to be thankful for and proud of. I love these guys, and I am so proud of them."