Dallas City Wire

COUNTDOWN TO TIP-OFF
DBU dropped their third consecutive game after suffering a 64-58 loss to Texas A&M International. Following a 66-48 loss to Texas A&M Kingsville last Thursday in which the Patriots shot just 27 percent from the field, DBU bounced back to shoot 43 percent on Saturday at TAMIU, but could not overcome a 12-point halftime deficit to drop both games on their road trip to South Texas.

DBU returns to action on Saturday when the Patriots host West Texas A&M at the Burg Center. The Buffs arrive with a 9-1 record in Lone Star Conference play and are in the midst of a three-game win streak after a 108-97 victory over Eastern New Mexico on Saturday.

DBU BASKETBALL ON THE LSC DIGITAL NETWORK
Join the broadcast crew of Reagan Ratcliff and Jason Lippert along with Ryan Wilson, the host of Countdown to Tip-off, and sideline reporters Jaylon Shoots and Cayla Williams for all the coverage of DBU's matchup against West Texas A&M. Wednesday's broadcast begins with Countdown to Tip-off at 6:45 p.m.

PATRIOT STORYLINES
- DBU is 5-5 in the Lone Star Conference and 2-4 versus opponents in the East Division of the LSC.
- The Patriots are trying to avoid their first four-game losing streak since they dropped their final four games of the season last year that culminated with a loss to Black Hills State in the South Central Regional Tournament.
- DBU ranks 10th in the LSC in scoring offense (71.4 ppg) and sixth in scoring defense (66.4 ppg).
- Carson Hughes will pass Myles Johnson (2014-2017) for the most games played in school history when Hughes plays in his 129th career game on Thursday.
- The Patriots rank third in the LSC in three-point field goal percentage (.356) and are second-best in the league at defending the three, holding opponents to a .300 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
- Ricky Lujan leads DBU in scoring and his 12.2 ppg is tied for the 20th-highest scoring average in the LSC.
- Ta'Jay Dunlap paces the LSC in both steals (35) and steals per game (2.1).
- The Patriots 4.1 turnover margin is 17th-best in the nation.

SCOUTING WEST TEXAS A&M
- Since dropping an 82-77 decision at Angelo State on January 5, the Buffs have won three straight with wins over UT Permian Basin, Western New Mexico, and Eastern New Mexico.
- West Texas A&M boasts the top-scoring offense in the LSC, averaging 84.3 ppg. Conversely, the Buffs are 15th out of 16 teams in the LSC in scoring defense (75.2 ppg).
- Senior guard Julius Brown leads the team and ranks fifth in the league in scoring (16.1 ppg). Backcourt teammate Larry Wise ranks seventh in the LSC with an average of 15.5 ppg.
- The Buffs rank tops in the nation in free throws made per game (20.5) and rank No. 20 in free throw percentage (.770)
- Defensively, WT's 8.4 steals per game is third-best in the LSC.

SERIES HISTORY
West Texas A&M leads the all-time series over DBU, 7-1. The Patriots are looking for their first win over the Buffs since January 9, 2021. The Patriots' 87-78 win over WT in Canyon, Texas, snapped a 45-game home win streak that dated back to January of 2018. Thursday's game at the Burg Center is just the second between the two teams in Dallas. Last year DBU fell to West Texas A&M 72-65 on January 29 at the Burg.

UP NEXT
The Patriots continue a four-game homestand on Saturday when they host Lubbock Christian at the Burg Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. 

Original source can be found here