BISMARCK, N.D. – The University of Minnesota Crookston men's basketball team struggled in the second half as they fell 65-56 to University of Mary to open the 2016 slate. The game was played Saturday evening at McDowell Activity Center in Bismarck, N.D. The Golden Eagles fall to 3-8 (1-6 NSIC), suffering their sixth loss by nine or less points on the 2015-16 season.

U-Mary is off to one of their best starts as a program as they are 11-2 (6-1 NSIC) in the first season under Joe Kittell, moving from sixth place during the 2014-15 season in the NSIC North to a tie for second place to open the 2015-16 season.

The Golden Eagles were led by a strong game from Kobe Critchley (Fr., G, Roseville, Minn./Health Science), who continues to come into this own. Critchley had 12 points and six assists on the game. He was aided off the bench by Ben Grygiel (Jr., F, Rockford, Ill./Business Management) and Chase Knickerbocker (Fr., G/F, Annandale, Minn./Business Finance). Grygiel had 10 points, while Knickerbocker added 11 points and five boards. The Golden Eagles also got six points off the bench from Jim Warmack (So., F/C, East Grand Forks, Minn./Business Marketing).

UMC was 21-of-67 for 31.3 percent from the field, 8-of-26 for 30.8 percent from beyond the arc and 6-of-10 for 60 percent from the charity stripe.

The Marauders were led by the outstanding play of Bryan Jefferson, who is off to a great start to the 2015-16 season for U-Mary. Jefferson had 20 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-11 from the field. Marquealis Edwards added 11 points and seven rebounds.

The Golden Eagles would hang with the Marauders early, even holding a lead 13-9 with 13:09 left in the first half. But the Marauders would take the lead and push the margin to eight on a pair of Edwards free throws with 50 seconds left in the half. UMC's Knickerbocker would hit a three with six seconds left to decrease the deficit to 30-25 going into the break.

The Golden Eagles came out of the break on a roll as they went on a 5-0 run led by another Knickerbocker trey and a Derrick Redd, Jr. (Sr., G, Menifee, Calif./Sports and Rec Management) lay-up to make it 30-30 with 19:05 left in the game.

However, that is as good as it would get for the Golden Eagles as the Marauders combatted the Golden Eagle run with an 11-0 run culminating in an Isaac Linquist lay-up to make it 41-30 with 16:45 left in the game.

U-Mary would push their lead out to as much as 16 (52-36) as Lindquist hit a pair of free throws with 12:15 left.

The Golden Eagles would put up a charge late getting the lead down to five as Redd nailed a three with 55 seconds left. However converted free throws would deliver the 65-56 win for U-Mary.

UMC will take on Minot State University Sun., Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. at the MSU Dome in Minot, N.D.