Livingston, AL- Christian Brothers University men's basketball went toe-to-toe with No. 12-ranked West Alabama for much of the night, but a decisive second-half surge by the Tigers handed the Buccaneers an 80–57 setback Thursday evening at Pruitt Hall.

CBU opened the game with confidence and energy, trading baskets early and showing no intimidation against the nationally ranked opponent. Jabari Phillip Jr. was a steady presence inside, scoring efficiently in the paint and helping the Bucs keep pace during a tightly contested first half that featured 10 lead changes and four ties. Christian Brothers shot over 50 percent from the field in the opening period and went into halftime trailing by just four, 38–34.

The Buccaneers continued to battle early in the second half. Iman Kheirati provided a spark, knocking down timely baskets and pushing CBU briefly into the lead midway through the period. Phillip Jr. remained aggressive around the rim, finishing with a team-high 17 points, while Kheirati added 15 points to keep the Bucs within striking distance.

However, West Alabama's shooting proved to be the difference down the stretch. The Tigers caught fire from beyond the arc and capitalized on turnovers, using a 20–6 run to create separation. UWA shot better than 60 percent from the field in the second half and finished the game at 56 percent overall, including 10 made three-pointers.

Despite the final score, CBU showed resilience on the boards and in the paint, matching West Alabama with 12 second-chance points and scoring 30 points inside. Bennett Briles added nine points off the bench, including a late three, while Marquis Gill dished out eight assists to help keep the offense flowing.

Christian Brothers drops to 2–9 on the season, while West Alabama improves to 12–1. The Buccaneers will look to build on the strong first-half performance as they continue conference play and search for consistency on both ends of the floor.