THE RUNDOWN
After a win in the season opener on Friday in the D2CCAA Canadian Tip-Off Classic, No. 5 DBU suffered their first defeat of the season in a 94-85 loss to Saint Martin's on Saturday at the Langley Events Center in Langley, British Columbia. Senior guard Cameron Kahn led the Patriots with a game-high 25 points. Trevor Frank and Xavion Brown joined Kahn in double figures, adding 12 and 10 points respectively. Marcel Stevens led the way for the Saints with a 25-point performance.
In a fast-paced start for DBU, the Patriots stormed out to an 11-0 lead in the game's first six-and-a-half minutes after a Ricky Lujan three-pointer. Saint Martin's first bucket did not come until the 13:04 mark in the first half when Dyson Lighthall drove the lane for a layup. The Saints eventually closed the gap and tied the game at 19 apiece on a Gavin Gilstrap three-pointer with just over eight minutes remaining until the break.
Still tied with 5:48 to play in the half, a Marcel Stevens free-throw gave the Saints a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. DBU was outscored 17-11 over the final five-and-a-half minutes to find themselves down 44-37 at halftime.
The Patriots struggled to close the gap, trailing by as many as 13 points after a three-pointer from Myles Samules four minutes into the second half. Â DBU went on a 17-4 run over the next five minutes and tied the game at 62 apiece when Lujan drained a shot from beyond the arc.
It would be a close as the Patriots would come to retaking the lead, as Saint Martin's eventually stormed back to an 11-point advantage with 4:47 left on the clock. The deficit would increase to 16 points after a fastbreak dunk from the Saints' Gilstrap just 30 seconds later. Despite a 15-8 run over the final four minutes, DBU dropped a 94-85 decision at the buzzer.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Saint Martin's has defeated two nationally ranked teams this weekend in No. 5 DBU and No. 14 Cal State San Bernardino.
- Seven different players for the Saints scored in double-digits.
- The Patriots struggled from the free-throw line, shooting 53 percent (17-32).
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
48 - DBU outrebounded Saint Martin's, 48-43.
20 - The Patriots scored 20 points off 18 Saint Martin turnovers.
6 - DBU went just 6-22 from three-point range.
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER ON THE LOSS TO SAINT MARTIN'S
"Tough result today against a team we knew would be very difficult. Give St Martin's credit for a great game plan and execution. This will be a good learning experience for us and something that can be good in the long run. We had some adversity today and we're not able to overcome it enough for the victory, but it's early in the season and I hope we will grow from this experience. I'm proud of their effort and I believe they will respond well moving forward."
UP NEXT
DBU concludes their three games in Canada against Simon Fraser on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (CST).
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