By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
CHICAGO, Ill. — It wasn't the final 20 minutes that haunted the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's basketball team Saturday afternoon—it was the first 20.
 
The Cardinals outscored host Concordia-Chicago 43-40 over the game's final 20 minutes, but could not climb all the way out of a 20-point first-half hole, as the Cougars dealt Saint Mary's an 86-76 nonconference setback Saturday.
 
Concordia-Chicago had the upper hand through out the first half, building its lead to as many as 20—45-25—before the Cardinals scored eight of the final nine points to whittle the lead down to 13, 46-33 at the break.
 
Saint Mary's continued its whittling ways in the second half, cutting the deficit to six, 74-68 with just under three minutes remaining in regulation—and were still within two possessions, 77-71, with 1:46 to play.
 
That, however, would be as close as the Cardinals would get, as CUC scored nine of the game's final 14 points to ice the 10-point, 86-76 victory.
 
Saint Mary's put a season-high five players in double figures, led by James Cullen (Western Springs, Ill.), Kareem Anthony-Bello (Chicago, Ill.), and Nate Urell (Fountain City, Wis.) with 14 points each. Bradley Hill (Matteson, Ill.) chipped in 12 points and Jakob Bailey (Cameron, Wis.) finished with 11. Anthony-Bello also hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds en route to his first collegiate double-double.
 
As a team, the Cardinals shot 40 percent from the field (26-for-65) and hit on 7 of 29 3-point attempts, while going 17-for-23 from the free throw line. Concordia-Chicago—which also put five players in double figures—shot 48 percent from the field (31-for-65) with three 3-pointers, and added a 21 of 28 showing from the charity stripe.
 
Mitch Pelissier paced the Cougars (1-2 overall), scoring agame-high 10 points, with Jarek Hotwagner adding 17 and Israel Dosie finishing with 16. Jonathan Wilson (13) and Henry Woo (10) also finished in double figures.
 
The Cardinals (1-2 overall) kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, traveling to Gustavus' Gus Young Court in St. Peter, Minn., for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Gusties.