TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler built multiple first-half leads and carried a slim advantage into the break, but a back-and-forth second half ultimately swung in favor of DBU as the Patriots fell 60–58 in a tightly contested matchup inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
UT Tyler set the tone early behind interior scoring from Xavier Williams and Sam Phipps. After Williams opened the scoring with a layup and Phipps added a jumper in the paint, Kyle Morgan and Sean Emfinger connected on back-to-back three-pointers that pushed the Patriots in front 10-4.
Hudson Anderson extended the margin with a fastbreak dunk midway through the half, and John Barbee added a three-pointer and a driving layup to give UT Tyler its largest lead at 17-9 with just over 11 minutes remaining. DBU chipped away with second-chance opportunities and free throws, trimming the deficit to two on several occasions.
Heath Tenner provided a spark off the bench with a dunk and a three-pointer during a key stretch, helping the Patriots maintain separation. Williams added a mid-range jumper late in the half, and Barbee buried a clutch three with 28 seconds left to counter a DBU go-ahead basket. UT Tyler carried a narrow 32-31 lead into halftime after closing the period with timely perimeter shooting.
The second half opened with DBU seizing early momentum, scoring inside on consecutive possessions to reclaim the lead. Tenner answered with a layup, and Morgan knocked down a tying three-pointer at the 15:43 mark to even the score at 37-37. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, with Morgan hitting another triple to briefly put UT Tyler back in front.
DBU responded with a 6-0 run fueled by transition opportunities to stretch its lead to five midway through the period. UT Tyler fought back behind aggressive drives from Chris Carpenter, who scored seven straight on a layup, jumper, and three-pointer to swing the Patriots ahead 50-48 with just over six minutes to play.
The contest remained tight down the stretch. After DBU brought the game to one, Tenner converted a pair of free throws and Carpenter added another free throw to give UT Tyler a late three-point edge. DBU answered with a driving layup and clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds to reclaim the lead.
UT Tyler had a final opportunity in the closing seconds, but a turnover prevented a last shot as DBU sealed the 60-58 decision.
Kyle Morgan paced UT Tyler with 14 points and three made three-pointers, while Chris Carpenter added 11 points off the bench and Heath Tenner chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds with 4 blocks. Sam Phipps pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds as the Patriots shot 47.6 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three-point range. UT Tyler will hit the road Thursday afternoon to face the UT Dallas Comets.
