THE RUNDOWN
No. 5 DBU improved to 5-0 after a dominant 87-65 win over Midwestern State Thursday night at D.L. Ligon Coliseum in Wichita Falls, Texas. Cameron Kahn led the way for the Patriots with a team-high 19 points and 13 rebounds in the victory over the Mustangs to open Lone Star Conference play.
The Patriots immediately jumped out to a 10-0 lead, capped off by a Cameron Kahn three-point jumper. After MSU's Pierre Sanders ended the Mustangs' scoring drought with a shot from beyond the arc, the Patriots responded by going on a 6-0 run to open up a 16-3 lead. Deng Dut and Ricky Lujan connected on jumpers to extend DBU's lead to 25-13 with 8:47 remaining in the half.  A three-pointer by Austin Garner gave the Patriots a 20-point advantage with just over four minutes until the break, and DBU would eventually take a 47-31 lead into the locker room.
After a sluggish offensive start to the second half, a Ta'Jay Dunlap three-pointer extended DBU's lead back to 16 at 58-42 with 14:44 to play. The Patriot defense continued their relentless effort, not allowing a Mustangs field goal over the next four minutes. DBU built their largest lead of the game when Isaac Bullard delivered a dunk to put the Patriots up 76-48 with 7:24 left on the clock. The Mustangs would respond with a 6-0 run but could not pull within 20 of DBU as the Patriots closed out a 22-point win to hand the Mustangs their first loss of the season.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Austin Garner passed Amari Bryant for the sixth most three-pointers (167) in program history.
- DBU's 52 rebounds are their most since posting 55 against Newman on January 12, 2017.Â
- The Patriots held MSU to a season-low 37 percent field goal percentage.Â
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
6 - Cameron Kahn registered his sixth career double-double.
54 - DBU totaled 54 points in the paint compared to MSU's 34.Â
20 -Â The Patriots forced 20 turnovers for the third time this year.
BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE PATRIOTS' GRITTY EFFORT
"I'm really proud of our effort tonight against a very good MSU team that is deservedly receiving votes in all three national polls. Our guys battled and competed for a full 40 minutes, and I especially loved our effort on the glass. We held 19 assists and a very good offensive team well below their average. It was a gritty, tough win on the road."
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UP NEXT
The Patriots continue conference play as they head to Lawton, Oklahoma, to face Cameron on Saturday at 3:00 pm.Â
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