MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Christian Brothers University men's basketball mounted a strong second-half push but was unable to overcome an early deficit, falling 81-70 to Montevallo on Saturday afternoon at Canale Arena.

The Buccaneers (9-13, 5-11 GSC) found themselves in an early hole, trailing 45-27 at halftime after Montevallo (15-8, 11-6 GSC) capitalized on turnovers. However, CBU responded with a resilient second half, outscoring the Falcons 43-36 behind strong performances from Tane Kirisome and Kyler Mann.

Kirisome led the Bucs with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including two three-pointers, while also knocking down all four of his free-throw attempts. Mann contributed 16 points on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting clip, adding five rebounds and three assists. Christian Thompson added 14 points and seven rebounds, providing a presence in the paint. Meanwhile, Iman Kheirati grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and Allen Hughes registered a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists.

Montevallo was led by Jaylen Curry, who poured in a team-high 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including four three-pointers. Brandon Fussell and Derek Moore chipped in 15 and 12 points, respectively, while the Falcons shot 47.6 percent (30-of-63) from the field and 36 percent (9-of-25) from beyond the arc.

The first half saw Montevallo build an early double-digit lead, using an 11-0 run midway through the period to seize control. The Falcons dominated inside, outscoring CBU 24-12 in the paint before halftime.

Christian Brothers found momentum after the break, opening the second half on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to nine points. Kirisome and Mann fueled the charge, and a transition layup by Thompson brought the Bucs within three points, 55-52, with 10:35 remaining.

Despite the surge, Montevallo responded with timely shooting, including back-to-back three-pointers from Curry and Moore to extend the lead back to double digits with under a minute to go. CBU never led in the contest and was unable to complete the comeback despite closing the gap to four points with three minutes left.

The Bucs shot 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 4-of-14 (28.6 percent) from three-point range. They held a 16-9 edge in second-chance points but were outscored 15-9 in points off turnovers.

The Bucs will look to bounce back next Thursday, Feb. 13 when they head to Alabama Huntsville for another critical GSC clash late in the season.