FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Jan. 22 -- Mike King and the Fayetteville Patriots exploded in the first quarter to build a quick 10-point lead, and rolled to a 136-123 win over the Roanoke Dazzle at the Crown Coliseum on Sunday. The Patriots improved to 5-15, while the Dazzle dropped to 10-13.

After trading baskets to start the game, King came came up with two steals and scored six points in a three-minute span to put the Patriots up by 10 with 2:48 remaining in the opening quarter. He then hit three free throws in the final 10 seconds as Fayetteville took a 12-point advantage into the second. King had 13 in the opening period.

In the second, Norm Richardson relieved King and scored nine points while sharing point guard duties with newcomer Mateen Cleaves. The Patriots were up 69-54 at halftime.

Roanoke trimmed the deficit to three points in the third behind the shooting of the league's leading scorers, Will Bynum and Anthony Grundy, but Fayetteville held on and stretched its lead to nine by the start of the final quarter. The Dazzle were unable to cut it below double digits the rest of the way.

King finished with 27 points, Richardson added 20 while Gerald Green and Erik Daniels each had 16.

Grundy paced the Dazzle with 32 points and Bynum had 21.