THE RUNDOWN
Saturday night, No. 5-ranked DBU (2-0) took down Colorado Mesa (1-1) by a score of 94-87, concluding the South Central Region Challenge. Freshman
Josh Weems led the group in scoring with 20 points (8-11 from the field), followed closely by veteran
Cody Stevens (5-11), who went a perfect 8-8 from the charity stripe. The Patriots forced 30 turnovers tonight, a number they reached four times in the 2025-2026 season.
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Braeden Pitts opened the scoring with a three on the game's first possession, but the Mavericks would take a 14-9 lead into the first media timeout. Coming out of the break, DBU would go on a 7-2 run to knot the score at 16, a stretch where Weems would tally four points. Mesa would find themselves ahead 24-18 with 12 minutes left in the first half, before the Patriots stormed ahead with an 11-0 run, featuring baskets from four different players. DBU held a 29-24 lead at that point, and wouldn't relinquish their advantage for the remainder of the night.
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The Patriots took a 54-46 lead into halftime tonight, heading into the locker room on a 7-0 run. Weems, who came off the bench, had 15 points and two steals in the first 20 minutes of play.
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The No.5-ranked team in the country started the second half the same way they ended the first, rattling off nine consecutive points after the game resumed. The group continued to pressure the Mavericks into turnovers, creating fast-break opportunities throughout the second half. A
Jackson McCabe free throw would give DBU their largest lead of the night, 21 points, with nine minutes left in regulation.
Cody Stevens sank all eight of his free throws within the final five minutes of the contest, helping put this game on ice.
HEAD COACH DR. BLAKE FLICKNER ON TONIGHT'S WIN
"Another gritty road win against a really good Colorado Mesa team. It was a physical and grimy game, and I thought our guys showed a lot of toughness. It was great to see our young guys get an opportunity to grow in a game like that. Our older guys provided great leadership, and it was fun to see the young guys play well. Jayden was great defensively, Josh had a monster game, and Caleb hit a dagger down the stretch."
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Every Patriot who has seen the court this season has recorded a steal.
- DBU recorded 17 more field goal attempts than Colorado Mesa (68-51).
- This is the program's first 2-0 start since the 2023-2024 campaign.
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
8 -
Cody Stevens' eight steals marked a new career high.
+13 - Across two games this weekend, DBU outscored its opponents 180-167.
32:03 - Time the Patriots spent with the lead tonight.
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COMING UP NEXT
The Patriots will return to action Thursday, on the road against Harding (3-2). Tip-off from Searcy, Arkansas, is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
