Patriots Gear Up to Compete in River City Holiday Classic in San Antonio

12/15/2025 7:13:00 PM | By: Anderson Collins

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COUNTDOWN TO TIP-OFF
16 NCAA DII programs make the trip to San Antonio this week for the River City Holiday Classic. The Patriots will dance with Rogers State, one of six MIAA representatives attending, and Missouri-St. Louis, the lone GLVC school making the trip.

LAST TIME OUT
Thursday night, the Patriots took down No. 7-ranked St. Mary's in a 73-67 win, on a night where Drew Calderon flourished. The redshirt senior from The Woodlands dropped a game-high 20 points, on a 53.8% shooting percentage.

After trailing for the first nine minutes of the contest, Jaden Shelvin gave DBU its first lead of the game with a putback layup amidst a 12-0 Patriot run. St. Mary's would claw back from down 43-31 to reclaim the lead, as the Patriots trailed 48-49 with 12:31 left in the game.

The two groups would trade buckets for the next couple of minutes before the Patriots went on an 8-2 run, a stretch that created just the amount of separation DBU needed to finish this one.
St. Mary's failed to make a single field goal inside the last 6:18 of the game, cementing the Patriots' first win over a ranked opponent this season.

PATRIOT STORYLINES
Run It Up: DBU is averaging a +24.0 point differential during its five-game win streak.
Glass Cleaners: During the win streak, the Patriots are averaging a +7.6 rebound differential.
Limitless Range: During the win streak, DBU is shooting 43.3% as a team from three-point land.
Quick Draw: The Patriots lead the country in turnovers forced per game (25.18) and steals per game (15.3).
Hot Hands: Earlier this season, DBU forced 30+ turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time in program history (11/15 - 35, 11/20 - 31). The Patriots have posted four games of 30 or more forced turnovers this season.
Big X: Xavion Brown leads the Lone Star Conference in steals with 34 (third in the nation).
Frank's Hot Sauce: Trevor Frank has the third-most steals in the LSC with 28 (ninth in the nation).
Our Brand: The Patriots are second in the country in average turnover margin, sporting a +10.4 clip.
Separation: DBU's total forced turnover margin is currently +114 (277-163).
Charity Stripe: DBU leads the Lone Star Conference in free-throw attempts per game, but is shooting just 62.2% from the line.
First 20: The Patriots have held the lead going into halftime in 10 of their 11 games this season.

SCOUTING ROGERS STATE (6-4)
- In the 2024-2025 season, the Hillcats posted a 23-10 record, and their season ended in the second round of the MIAA Tournament, falling to Fort Hays State in a low-scoring affair, 43-61.
- DBU and RSU have a common opponent, both teams having already played Southern Arkansas this year. The Patriots toppled over SAU 99-85, and the Hillcats also came out on top, winning 96-88.
- The Hillcats are led offensively by the duo of guard Andrew Mason (13.1 ppg) and forward Tim Jordan Jr. (12.6 ppg). Both players average a tick above four rebounds a game, and have a three-point percentage of 40% or higher, with the edge going to Jordan Jr. in both categories (4.7 rpg, 42.3% 3p).
- Rogers State is second in the MIAA in shooting percentage, with a 49.1% clip.
- The Hillcats have a +17 forced turnover differential on the season (143-126).
- Benard Omooria is fourth in the MIAA in three-point attempts with 67, and is shooting 40.3% from three-point land.
- Head coach Justin Barkley is in his 16th season as a collegiate head coach, all of which he has spent with Rogers State. Barkley holds a career head coaching record of 296-159.

SCOUTING MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS (7-4)
- In the 2024-2025 season, the Tritons posted a 21-12 record, and their season ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They fell to Lake Superior State, 62-75, who DBU then defeated in the Elite Eight.
- DBU and UMSL have a common opponent, both teams having already played Michigan Tech this year. The Patriots fell to the Huskies in their season opener in overtime, 70-75, at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. UMSL, however, defeated the Huskies by a score of 78-57, two weeks later, at the JustAGame Crossover.
- The Tritons are led offensively by redshirt freshman guard Taye Moore. Listed at 6-0, Moore is averaging 14.4 points per game and is third in the GLVC in total three-pointers made (24).
- UMSL forces the third-most turnovers per game on average in the GLVC (15.10).
- The Tritons have a +35 forced turnover differential on the season (173-138).
- Miles Boland leads the GLVC in steals with 24 (21st in the nation).
- Head coach Bob Sundvold is in his 21st season as a collegiate head coach, having spent the last 13 seasons with Missouri-St. Louis. Sundvold holds a career head coaching record of 347-250.

SERIES HISTORY
Rogers State
The 12-game history between the Patriots and Hillcats has been split 6-6. DBU has currently won three consecutive games against Rogers State, but the schools haven't faced off since 2019. The two teams used to compete as members of the Heartland Conference.

Missouri-St.Louis
This will be the first matchup between the Patriots and Tritons on the hardwood.

UP NEXT
Following the conclusion of the River City Holiday Classic, DBU will have a break from competition until the first weekend of January, when the Patriots will go on the road to face UT Permian Basin and Angelo State.

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