FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Men's Basketball will welcome a second straight ranked opponent to the Stubblefield Center Sunday, as the Lions host No. 13 Dallas Baptist University at 4 p.m.
UAFS has also rescheduled its game at Oklahoma Christian, set for Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Both games can be seen on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with the purchase of a daily pass. Tickets for Sunday's game are on sale now at the UAFS Box Office. Live stats for both games will also be available at uafortsmithlions.com.
NOTES:
LAST TIME OUT: The Lions traveled to UT Tyler, where the Patriots swept the series. UAFS held a 16-point second half lead in game one before UTT rallied back to win in double overtime, 96-91. The Patriots then won game two. 79-71.
RESCHEDULED: UAFS will travel to Oklahoma Christian Tuesday in a rescheduled contest that was previously scheduled for January 30. Oklahoma Christian won the matchup earlier this season at the Stubblefield Center.
SOUND FAMILIAR?: This will be the second straight week the Lions face off against a team nicknamed Patriots, as they take on Dallas Baptist after playing UT Tyler. It will also be the second straight ranked opponent to visit the Stubblefield Center, as DBU is ranked No. 13 in the NABC Coaches Poll.
DOUBLE OT: The double overtime game at UT Tyler was the first overtime game of the season for the Lions. The last overtime game for UAFS was against Newman University on February 7, 2019.
AMONG THE LSC: Freshman guard Payton Brown is now fifth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring at 19.9 points per game. Senior forward Chris Rollins is 13th at 15.2 per contest and fourth in rebounding at 8.2. Sophomore guard Evan Anderson is seventh in assists at 3.9 per game and fifth in assist to turnover ratio at 2.2.
MR.EFFICIENCY: Freshman guard Payton Brown leads the LSC in free throw percentage at 92.1 percent (58-of-63), is seventh in three-point percentage at 38.5 percent (25-for-65) and 12th in field goal percentage at 46.8 percent (58-for-124).
STRENGTH ON STRENGTH: DBU enters Sunday's game as the top shooting team in the LSC at 54.3 percent, while UAFS is sixth in the league in field goal percentage defense at 45.3 percent.
RECORD WATCH: Senior guard Matthew Wilson is currently 6th on the all-time list for three pointers made, as he how has 105 career makes at UAFS. DeVaunta Thomas is 5th with 137. Senior forward Chris Rollins is currently shooting 62.0 percent from the field, tied with Bo Franklin's record of 62.0 percent in 2013-14. Both Wilson and Payton Brown are over 90.0 percent from the free throw line, on pace to beat Seth Youngblood's 88.9 percent in 2016-17.
SCOUTING OC: Five Eagles are averaging double figures in scoring, led by freshman guard Elijah Elliot's 16.2 points per game. OC had won three games in a row prior to dropping their last two, and sit at 4-10, 4-10 LSC on the season.
THE SERIES: UAFS continues to lead the series against the Eagles, 11-7, after OC won 75-56 earlier this season in Fort Smith.
SCOUTING DBU: Senior guard Chandler Jacobs leads DBU at 21.4 points per game, second in the LSC, and averages 7.4 boards per game for the 13-2, 12-2 LSC Patriots. Freshman guard Ricky Lujan is second at 18.5 points, as four Patriots average double figures on the league's second highest scoring offense at 88.5 points per game.
THE SERIES: Sunday's game will serve as the series tiebreaker, as the teams are knotted at 12 wins apiece in the series that started in 2009. However, DBU has won the last four games, including a one-point win at the Stubblefield Center in January 2020.
