FOND DU LAC, Wisconsin (SabreAthletics.com) – It was a low-scoring affair for the first 20 minutes between a pair of conference rivals before visiting Concordia University Wisconsin pulled away late in the second half to hand the Marian University men's basketball team its sixth loss in the last seven games with a 56-48 triumph inside Sadoff Gymnasium this evening.

The Sabres (7-8, 6-4 NACC) held the opposition to just 25.8 percent (16-for-62) shooting from the field, but the Falcons (8-6, 7-4 NACC) made up for it in other ways. CUW dominated the glass with a 47-33 edge leading to a 19-6 discrepancy in second-chance points. The Falcons also used a 20-for-23 effort at the charity stripe, while Marian managed to go 9-for-16 in their own right.

Marian's Montrell Hobbs led all scorers with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while Josh Creed claimed his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Alex Stecker added 10 points in the loss.

Eric Kittel was the lone CUW player to reach double figures with 14 points, all of coming in the second half. The reigning NACC Player of the Week Mark Scholz tallied seven points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

Marian converted three straight buckets out of halftime and Drew Binversie gave his team a 24-22 lead just 1:42 into the second half. A pair of free throws by Mike Keller stretched the lead to four – Marian's largest of the second half – before Kittel knocked down a three-point. The make was Kittel's second from long range in four second-half possessions. He would go on to make three triples in the final 20 minutes in leading the Falcons.

The Sabres jumped back in front, 35-34, on a Stecker three-pointer from the wing at the 9:55 mark, but that would be their final lead of the game.

A Creed layup at 4:06 remaining would cut the deficit to 45-43 before CUW would push the lead back to six points and seal it at the free throw line down the stretch. The Falcons went a sterling 14-for-15 from the free throw line in the second half.

After jumping out to a 5-0 lead out of the gate and again by five points at 11-6, the Falcons stormed back to take as much as a five-point, 19-14, lead with 2:36 remaining. Marian cut into the deficit with a final bucket by Keller to make it 19-18 at the half. The Sabres shot 32 percent (8-for-25) from the field in the first half, while the Falcons turned in a lowly 22.2 percent (6-for-27) effort in the opening stanza.

With the loss, the Sabres lose ground in the standings, falling two spots to sixth place heading into Thursday's match-up with Lakeland (11-4, 7-3 NACC). Tip-off between the Sabres and Muskies is set for 7 p.m. in Sheboygan.