THE RUNDOWN
The Patriots delivered a dominant performance in the Lone Star Conference Championship Quarterfinals, overcoming an early challenge from Angelo State to secure an impressive 85-63 victory. After the Rams came out strong, DBU quickly regained their composure with a series of key plays, including back-to-back steals by Xavion Brown that sparked a momentum shift. From there, the Patriots' defense and offensive execution took over, allowing them to build a commanding lead that they would never relinquish. With standout performances from Ricky Lujan, Drew Calderon, and several other key contributors, DBU cruised through the second half to advance to the next round of the championship.
In the opening moments of the LSC Championship Quarterfinals, Angelo State came out strong after winning the tip-off, putting pressure on the Patriots and forcing them into a tough early drought. However, DBU quickly regained composure, with back-to-back steals by Xavion Brown that led to a huge momentum swing. Brown's steals set up Drew Calderon for a three-pointer and Jaden Shelvin for a dunk, allowing the Patriots to take an early 5-4 lead. DBU's defense then took over, as they locked down the Rams and held them to zero field goals for over four minutes. The Patriots capitalized on the drought, with Junior Goodlet's jumper at the 10:43 mark pushing DBU ahead 20-10. A key factor in the Patriots' success was their dominance on the boards, as they grabbed 12 offensive rebounds by the nine-minute mark of the first half.Â
Both teams struggled offensively in the under-eight timeout as the game entered a scoring lull. Nonetheless, DBU seized control with an impressive 11-0 run that saw them push the lead to 31-13. This run was capped off by a fastbreak layup from Ricky Lujan, forcing an ASU timeout to regroup. Despite DBU's foul trouble and some turnovers that seemed to give the Rams an opening, Calderon shut down any potential momentum shift with a clutch three-pointer from the left corner. Calderon's hot hand continued, as he drained another three to extend the Patriots' lead to 39-21 with just 1:37 left in the half. ASU added a late bucket but couldn't stop the Patriots' momentum, and DBU closed out the first half with a commanding 39-26 lead.Â
The Patriots came out firing in the second half, pushing their commanding 13-point halftime lead into an overwhelming advantage. Lujan set the tone early, hitting two free throws to open the half, and then Cameron Kahn added a steal that led to a smooth jumper by Lujan in the paint, further stretching the lead. Shelvin continued to shine, knocking down a three-pointer to push the Patriots back up by 18 points. That lead quickly expanded as Lujan's defense forced a steal, and Xavion Brown capped off the fastbreak with a thunderous dunk, off a Frank assist, lifting the crowd to their feet as DBU surged ahead 48-28.
Things took a turn for the worse for ASU when they were called for a technical foul. Frank capitalized on the free throws, further extending the Patriots' lead. Junior Goodlet then hit a three-pointer to push his point total to 12, solidifying DBU's offensive dominance. As the game rolled into the 13th minute, Jackson McCabe made his presence known with a powerful dunk off a Brown assist, adding to the highlight reel and sending the Patriots up by 20. With a 66-36 lead at the 11:42 mark, DBU was cruising, but the intensity never wavered.Â
The game took on a back-and-forth nature as the teams traded baskets, but DBU stayed in control throughout. Lujan hit a jumper beyond the arc to give the Patriots a commanding 79-49 lead and him 22 points with just over five minutes remaining. Back-to-back shots from Drew Calderon sealed the deal, giving DBU a new game-high lead of 32 points, 83-51. The Rams made a late push with a 9-0 scoring run, but it was far too little, too late, as the Patriots held on for an 85-63 victory.
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Tonight's victory marks DBU's first trip to the Lone Star Conference Semifinals since the 2020-2021 season.
- The Patriots dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Rams by 18, 46-28.
- Trevor Frank grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, while Ricky Lujan dished out a team-high eight assists.Â
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3- Three Patriots were in double figures, including
Ricky Lujan (22),
Drew Calderon (19), and
Junior Goodlet (14).Â
27- The bench played a crucial role, adding 27 points to the team's total, while ASU's bench only contributed 7.
30.7- The Patriots' three-point percentage saw a 30.7-point difference between the first and second halves (23.1% to 53.8%).
LSC QUARTERFINALS POSTGAME CONFERENCEÂ
UP NEXT
The Patriots return to the Comerica Center tomorrow at 6 p.m. for the Lone Star Conference Championship Semifinals, where they will face the winners of the final quarterfinal matchup.
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