DALLAS, TEXAS – The UT Tyler Patriots closed out their season with a tough loss against highly ranked Dallas Baptist on Thursday night. Despite a strong first half, the Patriots struggled to contain DBU's hot shooting from beyond the arc.

One of the bright spots in the defeat was Dontrell Hewlett, who delivered a dominant performance with a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds. Hewlett shot 9-of-19 from the field, knocked down two three-pointers, and went 11-of-14 from the free-throw line. Mareng Gatkuoth also contributed 15 points, hitting 3-of-9 from deep.

DBU opened the game on an 11-0 run, putting UT Tyler in an early hole. However, the Patriots responded after forcing a turnover, as Nikolas Gustavson converted a layup followed by an and-one finish from Hewlett to cut the deficit to 11-5. Later in the half, UT Tyler caught fire, going on a 16-0 run while drilling four three-pointers. Long-range shots from Gatkuoth, David Ayala, Gustavson, and Hewlett propelled the Patriots into the lead at 22-16 with nine minutes left in the first half. Despite this surge, DBU regained momentum and carried a 45-34 advantage into halftime.

Hewlett and Gatkuoth led the Patriots offensively in the opening half. Hewlett tallied 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting while grabbing three rebounds, while Gatkuoth added nine points, all from beyond the arc, on 3-of-4 shooting. UT Tyler was efficient from deep in the first half, connecting on 42.9% of their 14 attempts.

To start the second half, DBU quickly extended its lead to 53-34 after converting a pair of free throws. The Patriots fought to keep pace, trimming the deficit to 14 after a brief scoring run that included two layups and a three-pointer. However, DBU responded with a 9-0 surge, reestablishing control. From there, the two teams traded baskets until the final buzzer, with DBU securing an 89-72 victory.

With the loss, UT Tyler finishes the season with an 8-20 overall record and a 5-17 mark in conference play.