Box Score Box Score

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Despite an early lead on the road, the St. Scholastica Saints men's basketball team fell to the Presentation College Saints by a 71-67 final Saturday afternoon. 

With the loss, the St. Scholastica Saints fall to 7-14 on the season and 4-6 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The Presentation Saints move to third place in the conference at 6-3 with a 9-10 overall mark. 

A #Chris Hamers# (Jr.-Onamia, Minn.) jumper put the Saints up by nine points at 6:35 of the first half, but Presentation nibbled away at the lead, bringing the game back to a tie with 31 seconds remaining in the half. After a pair of free throws by #Max Dibrell# (Sr.-Duluth, Minn.), the Saints took a two-point lead into the locker room. 

CSS again pulled away early in the second, amounting a six-point lead, thanks to five points by #Brett Tester# (Fr.-Andover, Minn.) in the first four minutes of the half. The next three minutes of action saw three ties and two lead changes as the teams continued to battle back-and-forth. 

Presentation pulled away at about the mid-point of the second half, amounting a nine-point lead of its own with 10:25 to go. CSS continued to battle back, but never got back within three points before falling by a four-point final deficit. 

#Danny Schmitz# (Jr.-Hinckley, Minn.) led all scorers with 23 points while also grabbing seven boards for CSS. Dibrell and Tester also hit double-digits offensively, with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Michael Babcock had 21 points for the PC Saints. 

The Saints return home next weekend for a pair of games. The Saints will face Crown College in Reif Gym on Friday night. The tip-off is scheduled for approximately 7:30 p.m., following the women's game. The game can be seen live online, courtesy of the iFan Sports Network, at csssaints.com