THE RUNDOWN
The No. 6 ranked DBU Patriots (23-3, 15-2) entered today's game with St. Mary's riding an eight-game winning streak, while the Rattlers (17-5, 14-2) carried an eleven-game winning streak of their own. Somebody had to "lose their zero" this afternoon, and after 40 minutes, it was the Patriots who kept their streak alive. DBU made their ninth consecutive tally in the left-hand column following a 12-point victory over St. Mary's. With this win, the Patriots jumped the Rattlers in the Lone Star Conference standings and now hold first place in the LSC.
Drew Calderon would open the scoring for the Patriots with two early three-pointers, kickstarting his journey to a court-leading 11 points at halftime. DBU would claim a 6-3 lead with Calderon's second three and would hold that lead for the majority of the first half. Cameron Kahn didn't miss in the opening 20 minutes, shooting 3-3 from the field. It wasn't until the 5:30 mark that the Rattlers retook the lead. The two squads would exchange inside buckets for the remainder of the first frame, passing the lead back and forth. There was not a single point scored within the last seven minutes of the first half that didn't come from a layup or the charity stripe. The Rattlers would close the first half with an 8-0 run, handing the Patriots a seven-point deficit to overcome in the second frame.
DBU came out of the tunnel to start the second half with work to do and they wasted no time. Establishing a high-motor full-court press, the Patriots were able to convert off of forced turnovers early in the second half. Not even five minutes into the frame, Xavion Brown banked in a layup to give DBU a 44-42 lead and that bucket marked the beginning of the end for the Rattlers. St. Mary's spent the rest of the half chasing a deficit they would never catch, as the DBU offense proved much more prolific in the second frame of tonight's contest.
Cameron Kahn recorded his first double-double of the season, posting a 22/10/3 stat line. Kahn was far and away the most efficient of DBU's high-volume shooters this afternoon. Jaden Shelvin would foul out in the second half, but still led the team with three stocks (one block, two steals). Justin Haire provided six points, six rebounds, and two steals off the bench; four of Haire's boards came off the offensive glass.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Cameron Kahn's double-double was the 12th of his collegiate career.
- Xavion Brown led the troops with six assists this afternoon.
- St. Mary's Lachlan Bofinger was held to seven rebounds this afternoon. Bofinger entered today leading the LSC in RPG with 10.1.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
90% - Cameron Kahn's shooting percentage this afternoon in a 22-point effort (9/10).
18 - The Patriots scored 18 more points in the second half than they did in the first.
+11 - DBU's points off turnovers differential (DBU - 22, St. Mary's - 11).
DBU HEAD COACH BLAKE FLICKNER POST-GAME COMMENTS
"This week was a big week for our team and program. We had a really gritty win today against a talented and physical team. But I am so proud of the way our guys battled on the road. Cam was big, but lots of other guys really stepped up. X, Justin, Bull, Deuce all really battled on the boards, which was a huge key. So proud of their effort and their second half response."
COMING UP NEXT
Patriot hoops will make their way back to the metroplex as DBU will host Texas A&M International on February 13.
