THE RUNDOWN
On Thursday, No. 4 DBU suffered its second loss of the season at the hands of No. 1 West Texas A&M, 93-79, in Canyon, Texas. A strong second half performance from the Buffs that saw them outscore the Patriots 36-24 over the final 14-and-a-half minutes proved to be the difference and kept DBU from gaining momentum in the second half.
Both squads came off the opening tip ready to battle in a much anticipated match-up between two of the nation's top programs, but WT quickly grabbed the lead with a 6-0 advantage and held on for the entirety of the first half. DBU would trim the lead to two on multiple occasions, but the Buffs maintained their grip on the game and eventually went on an 8-0 run to go up by double-digits with 9:38 left until the break. The Patriots struggled to find an offensive rhythm the rest of the way and trailed by nine going into the half.
Down 45-36 to start the second period, a Kahn jumper would cut the Buffs lead to two. WT answered with an 18-2 run over five minutes, extending their lead to 18. The Buffs kept DBU outside arm's reach for the bulk of the half, even as the Patriots opened up a 7-0 run with 7:03 left to play. Despite the late surge, DBU could not complete a comeback and ultimately fell to the Buffs, 93-79.
.THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Patriots struggled from outside the arc, connecting on just 6-22 three-pointers.
- Four players from DBU scored double figures, including Cameron Kahn (22), Deng Dut (21), Trevor Frank (19), and Ricky Lujan (16).
- Deng Dut grabbed a team-high of 6 rebounds.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
30- WT outscored DBU 30-12 on fast break points.
34 - DBU's 36 points in the first half is their lowest in a half this season since December 14 vs. Southern Nazarene.
46 - The Patriots outscore the Buffs in the paint, 46-44.
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE PATRIOTS' STRUGGLES"
"The more aggressive team won tonight. They had a great game plan and defended well. We weren't able to move the ball like we'd like and settled for too much one-on-one. It was a good learning experience for us against a great team in a really social environment. Our defense has got to be much better, especially in the half-court. As we say, 'Next Play.' We'll have to regroup and get ready to bounce back with another tough one on Saturday."
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Patriots will travel to Lubbock, Texas, to face Lubbock Christian. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
