THE RUNDOWN
DBU fell to Texas A&M International in the Lone Star Conference Quarterfinals Thursday in Frisco, Texas. Ricky Lujan turned in one of his best performances this season with 30 points and seven assists, but 40 points in the paint and 33 rebounds lifted TAMIU to an 85-75 win over the Patriots.Â
DBU's first points came from a layup by Jaden Shelvin just under three minutes into the game. TAMIU forced a scoreless drought on the Patriots to take the lead until back-to-back buckets from Trevor Frank lifted DBU back in the lead with 15:11 left in the first half. The Patriots entered double figures, 10-8, following a three-point jumper by Austin Garner at the first media timeout of the match. The Dustdevils looked to convert the lead in their favor after a shooting foul on the Patriots but were overturned after an Issac Bullard jumper extended DBU's lead.
The two teams traded buckets out of the media break, combining to score 14 points midway through the first half. TAMIU evened it up and maintained a slight edge through the next stretch of action until the Patriots reclaimed their lead, 24-23 after Ricky Lujan laid it in while getting fouled with 7:05 on the clock. The back-and-forth affair continued with both squads trading buckets until a 6-0 burst from the Dustdevils put them back in front, extending their lead to as much as five. Lujan moved into double figures, trimming the margin to two, and was followed by a set of Cameron Kahn free throws to even the score at 31 apiece. TAMIU answered with a three-pointer to remain ahead until a Ta'Jay Dunlap three-point jumper lifted the Patriots back into the lead after a TAMIU five-second turnover. DBU used a 12-2 burst to stay ahead into halftime, 43-36, assisted by Lujan's 7-0 run.
Entering the second half, the Patriots' lead was trimmed to four following a jumper from the Dustdevils. Kahn joined Lujan in double figures with a layup at the 16:18 mark. DBU's lead fluctuated between five and seven until TAMIU tied it up at 61 apiece after a shooting foul midway through the second half. The Dustdevils took their first lead since 2:30 in the first half and entered double-digits,74-61, with a six-minute 19-0 burst and 5:24 on the clock. DBU trimmed TAMIU's lead to as low as seven but couldn't convert the lead as they fell 85-75.Â
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Ricky Lujan finished with a season-high 30 points and seven rebounds.Â
- DBU were 76% from the charity stripe, 13-17.Â
- The Patriots shot 61.5% in the first half.Â
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
12 - TAMIU won the rebound game by 12, 33-21.
13 - The contest saw 13 lead changes and was tied eight times.
23 - The Patriots scored 23 points off turnovers compared to the Dust Devil's 12.Â
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER POST GAME COMMENTS
"We told our team that the tougher team was going to win, and I think they were the tougher team in the second half. We are accustomed to doing things this season that we didn't do, and we have to give TAMIU the credit for that. We wanted to play fast and get an open game with good movement and free-flowing. We started to lose that freedom and movement we wanted in the second half. They were aggressive on the ball screens, and we had way too many turnovers, and that created a problem as we started playing hesitantly and not being strong with the ball."
RICKY LUJAN POST GAME COMMENTS
"Each and every day, when we get back to the drawing board, we just want to come out better. We want to give our all every day, whatever it is or however it is. Looking at the glass half full, we can get healthy and build momentum going into the regional tournament."
AUSTIN GARNER POST GAME COMMENTS
"We are obviously disappointed with the results of this game; as players, we know that we have to go out and execute the game plan, and today, we didn't go out there and execute. We are lucky enough to say that we get to play next week. We must keep our heads up, move on, and get the next one."
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER MESSAGE TO THE TEAM
"It's the same thing we talk about on day one. Let's get a little bit better tomorrow and play better the next time we take the court. Nobody wants to lose, but we have to take the circumstances we have earned, take a couple of days extra rest, and be fresher and stronger into the next game. Character is how you respond to adversity."
UP NEXT
DBU awaits results from the NCAA selection show this Sunday at 10:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.
