THE RUNDOWN
The Dallas Baptist University Patriots made history in their NCAA Division II Elite Eight Quarterfinals matchup against Lake Superior State, securing their first-ever trip to the Final Four with a 98-85 victory. Led by senior Ricky Lujan, who scored a game-high 27 points, DBU displayed an impressive all-around team effort. Isaac Bullard, Cameron Kahn, Xavion Brown, and Trevor Frank also made significant contributions, fueling the Patriots' high-scoring offense and aggressive defense. After a competitive first half, DBU came out strong in the second, quickly regaining the lead and never looking back, extending their advantage to as much as 15 points. With key steals, fast-break opportunities, and a dominant presence in the paint, the Patriots maintained control throughout the second half, closing out the game with a commanding win to advance to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the first time in program history.
The Patriots came out strong against the Lakers, with Cameron Kahn scoring the first bucket of the game on a quick layup to give DBU an early 2-0 lead. The Patriots' defense also showed early signs of aggression, as Ricky Lujan's steal led to a turnover by the Lakers. However, LSSU quickly bounced back, going on an 8-0 run to take control of the game. Despite DBU's efforts to match their pace, the Patriots found themselves down 10-4 as the first media timeout hit, with the Lakers' defense limiting DBU's offensive flow. The Patriots responded, trimming the lead to two points after Isaac Bullard drew a foul and sank both free throws. Moments later, Kahn hit a tough turnaround jumper through traffic to bring the score to 10-8. DBU began to find their rhythm, but LSSU's defense remained stout, forcing a pair of turnovers and extending their lead to four after a three-pointer. Jackson McCabe then got in on the action, making his first shot of the day with a second-chance tip-in layup, bringing the Patriots within two. Right after, McCabe made a crucial steal on the defensive end, showing signs of life for DBU. Lujan followed suit with a three-pointer, giving DBU their first successful shot from beyond the arc and narrowing LSSU's lead to just one point at 15-14.
The Lakers, however, would not be denied, pushing their lead back to five with a fast break and free throws from DBU fouls. The Patriots struggled from the field, shooting just 19% in the first half compared to the Lakers' 44%. Despite the deficit, DBU found a response in Jaden Shelvin, who cut the lead to 27-20 with a driving layup. Trevor Frank's steal prevented another LSSU possession, leading to a fast-break layup from Lujan and cutting the lead to 27-22. Frank wasn't done there, as he snagged another steal and, with an offensive rebound from Drew Calderon, set up Lujan again for a layup, capping off a quick 6-0 run to force the Lakers to call a timeout at 27-24. The Lakers answered with a fast-break score and two free throws to push their lead back to seven at 31-24. However, DBU wasn't backing down, having already forced 13 turnovers from the Lakers. Xavion Brown made his presence felt with a fast-break layup, bringing the Patriots within four at 31-27. The Patriots went on a hot streak to close out the first half, rattling off seven straight points. Ricky Lujan capped off the run with an and-one opportunity, while DBU's defense shut down the Lakers' offense. McCabe followed with a layup, and Bullard's steal led to a pull-up jumper from Brown in the paint. This scoring burst brought DBU within one, 38-37, heading into the break.
DBU came out of halftime with a vengeance, quickly taking the lead with a three-pointer from Kahn, putting DBU up 40-38. Brown then extended that lead to four with a strong driving layup. Although the Lakers responded with a three-pointer to trim the deficit to just one point, DBU didn't lose momentum. Lujan answered with a pull-up jumper and followed it up with two free throws, pushing the Patriots' lead to six. Bullard added to the scoring run, draining a pull-up jumper in the paint, making it an eight-point game at 50-42 as the under-16 media timeout approached. Frank kept the Patriots' offense rolling, hitting a three-pointer after the timeout. DBU's offense continued to surge, extending the lead to as much as 15 points with a 13-point scoring run, capped off by a powerful dunk from Brown, making it 57-42. LSSU responded with back-to-back three-pointers to trim the deficit to single digits, but Cody Stevens answered with a three of his own, putting DBU back up by double digits at 60-48. The Patriots' defense remained aggressive, with AJ Borden forcing LSSU's 20th turnover, which he converted into a layup to increase DBU's lead. The Lakers would not go away quietly, cutting the Patriots' lead to four at 65-61 after an 8-0 scoring run. But Bullard responded with a strong driving layup, pushing DBU's lead back to six.
As the Lakers continued to push offensively, trimming DBU's lead to two, the Patriots fought back with key shots. Frank drained a three-pointer to extend the lead to seven, and moments later, a steal by Frank led to a second-chance tip-in layup from Brown, putting DBU up 72-63. After the under-eight media timeout, LSSU again made a push, cutting the lead to three, but Lujan answered with a driving layup, and Brown followed up with a powerful dunk on the fast break after another steal, forcing yet another turnover from the Lakers. DBU regained a 10-point lead with a layup from Bullard and free throws from Frank, bringing the score to 83-73 with just under five minutes remaining. The Lakers managed to cut the deficit to eight, but Lujan responded in the paint, pushing DBU's lead back to 13. Brown and Bullard then made free throws to extend the lead further, putting the Patriots up 90-77 with two minutes left on the clock. Despite the Lakers continuing to fight and attempt to trim the deficit, DBU stayed strong on both ends of the floor, maintaining their lead. The Patriots closed out the game with a dominant performance, winning 98-85 and advancing to the NCAA Division II Final Four Semifinals.
FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Today's win marks the Patriots' first-ever trip to the NCAA DII Final Four in program history
- With seven rebounds tonight, Cameron Kahn surpassed Jordan McGowen to become the all-time leader in career rebounds in program history. Kahn now has 825 rebounds.
- The Patriots were relentless on both ends of the floor, accumulating 38 rebounds, 19 steals, and 11 assists, showcasing their defensive and offensive dominance.Â
- The Patriots overcame a slow start, scoring just 37 points in the first half on 32.6% shooting. However, they erupted in the second half, posting 61 points while shooting 60% from the field to secure the win.
- Jackson McCabe and Cameron Kahn each led the team with seven rebounds, while Xavion Brown topped the team with three assists. Trevor Frank recorded a team-high six steals.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5- Five Patriots scored in double figures tonight, with
Ricky Lujan leading the charge with 27 points.
Xavion Brown added 17,
Cameron Kahn and Issac Bullard contributed 14, and
Trevor Frank chipped in 10.
31- DBU forced 29 turnovers and capitalized by scoring 31 points off those turnovers.
32- The Patriots' bench contributed 32 points, making a significant impact on the game.
52- DBU was dominant in the paint, producing 52 points in the paint compared to LSSU's 30.
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DBU BASKETBALL ELITE 8 QUARTERFINAL POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCEÂ
UP NEXT
The Patriots advance to the Final Four and will face the winner of West Liberty (30-4, 18-2 MEC) versus Cal State Dominguez Hills (28-5, 20-2 CCAA). Tip-off for this national semifinal is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, at 6:00 pm CT at the Ford Center. The winner of the Final Four match will compete for the National Championship on Saturday, March 29, at 2:00 pm CT.
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